Gifted
by Darcythe2nd
Summary: A terrible gift manifests itself in Bella at a young age and forces her to run for seven long years. 16 now, she has gained some control over the monster inside her and begins to hope for a normal life with her father in Forks, if he can ever forgive her. In Forks she meets and falls in love with the Cullens, who help her come to terms with her past. Femslash. Bella/Rosalie. AU.
1. Bella

**My first ever fanfic. Legalities: I'm not making a penny off of this so please don't sue me. Thanks Stephanie Myers.**

**Whoever reads it, I know the chapters are really short...I'd probably be irked if I was reading this as well. But I'm going to try to put up a few chapters a day while my muse holds strong. So you'll probably get your money's (just kidding, Stephanie Myers) worth at the end of each day.**

**Please, please review? This story has been playing around in my head and I'm DYING to hear your thoughts.**

**With that, I present: Gifted.**

* * *

It was difficult, the memories hazy now, but when she reflected long and hard Bella could almost remember her life before...Though she was always lonely, there were enough good memories with her mother and father to make her nostalgic. She remembered days in the park, birthdays and Christmases. She remembered watching her mother cook while she did her homework after school. She remembered playing catch with her father. It wasn't a perfect life by no means, but it was a content and simple one.

How she wished she could completely forget it.

* * *

Tomorrow night:

_Ring. Ring._

'Pick up. Don't pick up. Pick up. Don't-'

"Hello?" A deep voice asked.

She held her breath. God, what was I thinking? She thought to herself. Her free hand was clenched so hard the knuckles were turning white. Her other hand squeezed the phone, painfully, against the side of her head.

"Hello? Who is this?" The man on the other side asked, the irritation quickly seeping into his voice.

And still, Bella couldn't think past the terror in her mind. She was beginning to feel discomfort now. She hadn't moved a muscle or, more importantly, taken a breath for almost a minute now. Gently she exhaled, and moved her lips hoping a sound might come out.

_Click._

She closed her eyes and took in a big gulp of air. Exhale. Another breath. She placed the receiver back in its cradle and leaned all her weight onto the payphone.

It had been seven years, but his voice was unmistakable. She blinked back a tear as she thought how both wonderful and painful it was to hear her father's voice again.

* * *

Today:

A quick glance at her watch told her it was 10 minutes after closing time. Still, she held still for a few more minutes, listening carefully for any disturbance before she relaxed enough to move more than a few inches. She slowly opened the door of her hideout, a closet full of paper supplies, and walked up the stairs.

The library was deserted and dark now, having closed at 9 PM. She liked this library. She had been haunting it for nearly a month, and would be sad to leave it behind. There were no security cameras or motion sensors, which was how she was able to spend so many nights here undetected. It was hidden from the main road just enough for her to be able to turn on a few small lights without fear of detection. Best of all, the staff kitchen was always so full of food she was able to sneak herself a small dinner every night without it being noticeable the next day. At least, she didn't think anyone had noticed.

Bella cautiously walked toward her favorite armchair and pulled off her backpack before plopping down and sighing loudly. Another day, she thought.

She allowed herself a few moments free of stress and worry, then pulled herself back up and walked towards the architecture aisle. She grabbed a few promising looking books and headed back to her spot, sighed again and started reading-but not before setting an alarm for 3 AM. She knew the cleaners came every morning at 5, and the 2-hour cushion was as close as she dared get.

As she read and looked longingly at the pictures of the warm, inviting homes she couldn't stop the pang in her stomach as she inevitably thought of the home from long ago, and the home she couldn't ever have now. The thoughts soon overtook her reading, and she felt the pangs become stronger and stronger. Something light up inside her and just as quickly extinguished as she opened her eyes wide and mentally scolded herself. 'Stop it,' she thought to herself. 'You haven't had a reaction in months. Don't fuck it up now, Bella Swan.'

She focused on breathing, on clearing her mind until the strong emotions she felt not a few moments ago ebbed back into the familiar quiet ache.

She sighed and closed the book.

"Maybe a different subject tonight," she said out loud. Carefully, she shelved the books she had taken back exactly where they belonged. A few aisles over she picked up a book about the secret life of dogs.

Six hours later, her beeping watch forced her to close her book (the 9th one of the night) and make her way out of the building. She carefully scanned her area to be sure nothing was amiss before heading back downstairs to the supply closet and the window with the broken lock. She climbed out, her backpack tied securely to her back, and slowly made her way along an unlit portion of the sidewalk, down the short hill on which the library stood, and on to the woods. When she was a good couple of miles in, she swiftly climbed the sturdy tree that had been her bed for the last month. With a loud sigh she laid back on her sleeping bag which was securely tied to the branches it was resting on, and closed her eyes.

Another night, was her last thought as she drifted to a restless sleep.


	2. Survival

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. Please read and review, if you've gotta moment. Enjoy!**

* * *

It was nearly noon when Bella awoke. Her stomach was growling rather conspicuously though it was probably the steadily increasing rain that jolted her out of sleep. She checked her watch, then with practiced hands she untied herself and her sleeping bag from the tree branches and rolled it up inside her backpack. She looked around and spotted no one in the area. With a small smile she stood on a branch, then after quickly glancing around once more, leaped to the ground-over 50 feet below.

She did not plummet to her death. Instead she felt the wind thicken underneath her, almost like an invisible but-to her-a palpable cushion that held her as she gently drifted down. When she was mere inches from the forest floor the air cushion disintegrated and she landed.

This particular gift always made her smile. But as always, as she felt the joy radiating through her she forced herself to stop. She gritted her teeth and took a few slow, deliberate breaths.

"Well, a good morning to you too, Bella," she said to herself sarcastically.

* * *

Normally she would wait until the schools let out before she wandered back into town (unwise to attract attention...and a young girl alone and not in school day after day would definitely attract unwanted attention), but she needed a couple of new shirts and embarrassingly, she needed to shore up her feminine hygiene supplies. It doesn't sound like much, but Bella had no money. Therefore in order to procure anything she had to resort to some creative, and less than legal means.

She had to be extremely careful. Not only did she have to watch for the obvious-not get caught stealing, she also had to time everything just right so her...methods...wouldn't be detected.

She decided to start at the supermarket. It was a big place that was busy all the time. Easy to be inconspicuous. She walked along the main road for 20 minutes before spotting the giant box store and the hundreds of cars belonging to its patrons. She immediately felt the butterflies in her stomach shift around. In all the years since...since the incident, she spent as little time as possible around other people. It was a miracle she hadn't lost her mind actually. But sane or not, she now felt incredibly uneasy in the presence of large crowds. Uneasy yet...so envious. To be normal like them...she shook her head as she felt her heart tighten and she hissed at herself, "stop it! Breathe, Bella, breathe."

She made it to the door without further incident, grabbed a basket and walked inside.

Though she'd been inside countless stores and buildings over the years, she still felt a small shock every time she experienced the contrast of the garish fluorescent lighting to the natural outdoors. Yes, you're a regular Pocahontas now, she chuckled to herself. A young man near her heard her laugh and smiled at her. Bella's face quickly turned blank and she turned in the opposite direction before she could do something to attract more attention.

Here we go, she thought as she started her routine.

She walked down the aisles of the store, neither strolling nor in any particular rush. She had to be careful not to appear out of place, occasionally pondering some product or another and putting something inside her basket. All the while though, she scanned the people around her. She always looked for a particular type-expensive clothing, a bulky purse, or a bulging coat pocket. Without the ability to read minds, she had no other method save for her intuition to determine who had enough money that they wouldn't miss it if some of it inexplicably disappeared.

She was making a show of looking at the different varieties of bagged nuts when she thought she found a suitable candidate. He was a gruff looking middle-aged man wearing a very nice overcoat...and as he passed her, Bella saw a thick wallet in his pocket stuffed with cash.

She didn't move to follow him, but quickly looked back and forth and saw that no one else was in that aisle. She placed the bag of nuts in her basket and walked purposefully in the man's direction, pretending to look up at the big sign at the end of the aisle. As she neared him, he bent down slightly to examine whatever was on the shelves. Gotcha, she thought. She could see the wad of cash perfectly from this angle. She took a deep but quiet breath and called on her gift.

Under her gaze, four $20 bills slid from the rest and zoomed, too fast for even the security cameras to see, into Bella's empty pocket. She didn't break her stride, but continued walking to the next aisle. The whole encounter had taken just 3 seconds.

She didn't show any outward signs of change, but in her mind Bella relaxed a little. Now that the necessary "prep" for her shopping was complete she did start to feel some guilt, but she shook her head to quickly rid those thoughts. She did everything possible to minimize these...activities. She was always careful with who she took from. Besides, it's not like she partied with this cash. Really, that she could live on such meager funds and not need to repeat this episode for a few more weeks was quite a feat.

Sighing, she knew she was making excuses...trying to minimize her crimes. But really, what else could she do? It's not like she could get a job. The second anyone realized she didn't have an address or adult supervision...No, she didn't like it but this was the only way to keep from hurting others.

10 minutes later, Bella was back outside carrying a box of tampons, some non-perishable food, and value pack of underwear. She walked another half hour till she found a second-hand clothing store. There she lucked out and found 2 t-shirts, a light jacket, and a pair of blue jeans with only one hole in each knee all for under $20. She still had $40 left and she carefully folded those bills inside her left shoe.

All in all, a pretty successful afternoon. She smiled slightly and hummed to herself as she made her way back to her library.


	3. Possibilities

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. Please read and review, if you've gotta moment. Enjoy!**

* * *

Bella looked up from her book (a biography of Neil Armstrong) and surreptitiously glanced in the direction of the sniggering. A group of kids, high school level by the varsity jacket one of them wore, were chatting and laughing and obviously not getting much studying done. They were sitting in the middle of the young adult area. Bella, as always, was tucked into the most remote corner she could find-in a library, usually this was the genealogical or local history room.

She couldn't hear what they were saying, but it was their faces that Bella was drawn to, not their words. They were animated, bright, full of life. She tried to picture herself at their table, laughing and talking amongst them. She imagined herself with regular teenage problems...grades, boys, parents. 'What would it be like to study with my friends,' she pondered. 'Or gossip about the latest crush? Or complain about my parents? What would it be like if my biggest worry was what dress I was going to wear to prom?'

She knew better than to go along this line of thinking, she thought as she frowned to herself. Hell, all these things she was wondering about...she didn't actually know if they were really what other kids dealt with. After all, she only knew about them from reading crappy teen books.

'Oh don't kid yourself,' she thought bitterly. 'Even when things were normal, you still didn't have friends. What makes you think it would have changed at all? It probably would've gotten worse.'

It was a cheap excuse, she knew, but it helped dull the ache a little. The truth was, even though she was a bully magnet as a child and probably would have experienced the same or stronger levels of intolerance as a young adult if she had stayed in the same school system, Bella still longed for that hypothetical life she knew she could never ever have. The odds couldn't have been that impossible, could they? Surely, if she had spent the last seven years with other kids...surely she would have made one single friend?

Her stomach coiled, both from hunger and emotional pain. Steady, she thought to herself. She looked at her watch. It was almost closing time. She put her books away and quickly walked out of the building and a little ways away. Finding a dry spot, she sat down and ate a granola bar and some dried fruit. Yum, she thought sarcastically. Hopefully there would be some lunch meat or something more fulfilling in the staff fridge...

* * *

She could hear them. Immediately, Bella's heart started to speed and she quickly ran down her options. It was 9:00 and the kids were lounging outside, waiting for their rides most likely. They probably wouldn't notice her, much less talk to her, but still she had to plan what her next moves would be.

"Dude, my parents have been unbearable lately! They're making me take practice tests every week! I actually dread the weekend now," said one of the boys.

"Hey at least your folks are trying to help you," a short, dark haired girl said. "I've explained the SATs to them like a thousand times, and they still don't get how important prep classes are. I'm doomed!"

"You guys, chill!" Another girl exclaimed. "You both get, like, amazing grades already. You'll be fine! Even if you don't study at all Jules, you'll probably ace the SATs. And Dave, I'll bet my left leg you'll be the youngest doctor in the state when you're done."

The first boy smiled. "Doctor Dave. I like the sound of that." He laughed and pretended to check one of the girls' lungs with an imaginary stethoscope.

"Ew, you perv!" someone shrieked, though she sounded like she was enjoying his attention.

"What about you, Em? Thought about what you'll do after graduation?" Dave asked.

"Ugh, yeah." The last girl, Em, said. "I actually faked a college application, you know for fun and to see what the real thing looked like. I can't believe the amount of paperwork! And how much they want to know about your school activities? I mean come on! And now I have to get my dad to get off his ass and the chick he's shagging-don't give me that look Jules, I have a right to bitch about this...that whore is almost as young as we are!-to get him to fill out his portion of the application. Seriously, it'd be easier if he was dead."

"Ookay, thanks for the images Em. But I was asking for what you think you'll major in," said Dave.

"Oh," Em said sheepishly. "Law. Then I can sue his ass." She grinned.

A car approached the kids then, and they all piled in laughing their heads off from a joke Bella didn't hear.

A minute later it was quiet once again. This is when she'd normally make her way to the unlocked window to the basement storage room, but tonight something held Bella back.

How long could she keep this up? She had been hiding, running, sneaking around for so long it was second nature to her now. But did she really want to spend her entire life like this? She had exiled herself for a reason, but she was so good at controlling her..herself now. She hadn't lost control in months, and when she almost had she was able to stop herself before anything happened. Doesn't that mean, she gulped at the implications, that she could go home?

Of course not, she thought, and the anguish of the sudden emotions that hit her had her keeling over and clutching at her stomach. How could she even think that? She had no home to go to. And the person that, maybe, possibly-no, no, it was impossible. How could he ever forgive her? She remembered that night so clearly. Too clearly. She clenched her jaws. Figures, she thought, that her photographic memory would begin on the one night she'd do anything to forget.

No. Her father was not an option. But how else could she move forward? She needed to go to school. Get an education. Work and earn a living, a real one. To do that she needed to graduate high school at the very least. She needed a parent to speak on her behalf so she could get started. She shuddered at the idea of walking into a social services office. She'd read too many horror stories for that to ever be an option. Not at her age anyway, and certainly not with her...peculiarities.

This was the first time since the incident that she even considered the idea, the possibility of seeing her father again. She tried to brush the thoughts away but the germ had already spread, and she couldn't help but dream of a new life.

She thought of little else as she entered the library. As if her wandering thoughts were now controlling her muscles, Bella made her way to the row of public computers. She pulled up a search engine and typed: "Charlie Swan".


	4. Charlie

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. Please read and review, if you've gotta moment. Enjoy!**

* * *

After combing through a dozen false Charlie's (he was thankfully, not the prolific porn star Charles Swan) she found him. He was a police officer, a police chief in a town called Forks in Washington state. She had to do another search for the town, it was so small she'd never heard of it. Population 3,545.

She sighed again. She needed to stop getting ahead of herself. What was the next step? Just pick up the phone and call him? He could be remarried. He could-she couldn't bear to think it, but he could very well have a new family now. Even if he didn't, what could she possibly say that he'd even allow himself to hear? He'd probably hang up the second he realized who she was, if the last conversation they had was any indication. Still...it was so long ago.

Exactly, she thought angrily to herself. He probably moved on, assuming you were dead and gone. Should she really reopen his wounds, just for her own selfishness? Her heart and stomach recoiled. The pain, long kept at bay by her disciplined mind, started to creep past her defenses.

She slammed her fist down on the table. 'Control yourself!' She thought. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the steady rhythm of her breathing until she felt the sparks inside her disappear back into her body.

"That's the second time in one day you almost lost control," she murmured quietly. 'It's also the second time in one day I was able to stop myself,' she thought with a slight twinge of hope. 'That's never happened before.'

Once again, it was like her muscles disconnected themselves from her brain as they searched Charlie's name in an online phone book. There. He was listed. Right in front of her, she could see his address and phone number. And as much as part of her, a big part, warned her of the foolishness of what she was about to do, another long veiled part of her yearned for it. And she couldn't unlearn what she now knew. The way to her father was now stamped onto her brain the way everything since that night somehow stuck inside her mind. She would go mad if she had this information and did nothing. She had to at least try.

* * *

_Ring. Ring_.

'Pick up. Don't pick up. Pick up. Don't-'

"Hello?"

Once again, it was like Bella had lost her voice. She was startled at her own terror the first time she had called him. His voice...it brought back memories she would have prefered stay submerged. It brought back a simpler, happier time and she had to struggle greatly to keep from losing her tight control.

"Goddamn it! I'm gonna trace this call you bastard and you better hope I do-"

"Dad," it came out a whisper, but it was out.

Nothing. Absolutely nothing. She swallowed hard. Please don't hang up. Please don't ha-

"Who is this?" He said, slowly enunciated each word.

Here goes nothing...

"Dad," Bella said, louder this time. "It's Bella."

She heard a deep breath. It could have been a gasp. And then silence again. She stopped herself from adding anything else. The ball was in his court. If he still hated her and never wanted to speak to her again...well he could hang up, and that would be that. She promised herself right there that if he did that, she would not try again. She would let him live in peace.

Wait. Just wait, she thought to herself. Wait for him!

"Bella..." It was his turn to whisper now. "Is this some kind of joke?"

"No!" I said quickly, working hard not to yell. "No. Dad it's me."

Silence again. She decided to take a risk.

"Do-do you want me to hang up? If that's what you want, I will...and I won't call again. I won't be upset, Dad. Really. Just, just say the word and I'll go."

"No," he said quickly. "You don't have to do that. Just give me a minute."

Exaltation nearly overtook her. There's a chance! There really is a chance! She took a deep breath, and waited.

It was probably just a few seconds but it felt like minutes to Bella. She imagined him standing...no, sitting on a couch. The phone was probably docked on a side table near him. She remembered him loving to watch sports...could he have been watching a game on TV when she called? Washington was a time zone away. It was Thursday night. What sport might it be? Despite her perfect memory she knew nothing about sports, except that most of them required a ball. Maybe she ought to read up on the subject.

"Bella," he started quietly. "Why are you calling?"

Bella's heart fell. She had no idea how to begin explaining. She knew what she wanted, but...Oh god, what had she done?

Slowly and with much hesitation, Bella started. "I uh, I missed you." Weak, she thought to herself. "It's been...so long, and to be honest...I'd like to come home." There it is.

Quickly she added, "I've been good. Nothing...nothing has happened in a very long time. I can control it now, and-" She felt her emotions coming apart as the weight of her exile bared down on her. "Dad I'll never forgive myself. I-I still don't understand what happened that night. I never meant...you know I'd never intend- Please, Dad. It's been seven years. I just want a chance at a normal life. Please. Please let me come home."

She hadn't planned on laying it all out there like that, but she couldn't take it back now. If he refused...after baring herself to him like this, if he still refused...she couldn't let herself think about it. There was no Plan B. She had nobody else in the world.

There was the sound of heavy breathing on the line. She couldn't tell if it was sadness or anger. Or hatred.

"I don't forgive you. I don't think I ever will," he said.

Bella tried, but she couldn't stop the tears this time. She breathed in and out, counting each breath in vain hope of shielding herself against her father's words. It didn't work.

"But I believe you, Bella. If you say you can control it now, I believe you."

She waited, the tears raining down her face freely now. They haven't done that in years...

"You can come home," he said.

She gasped. What did he say? It was her turn to be silent as she replayed his words in her mind. He didn't forgive her. He never would. He believed her. Home.

"Do you mean that?" She whispered.

"Yes, Bella." He said much more quietly. "I think it's what your mother would want."

She felt a fresh wave of pain, nearly suffocating her. It was like someone had kicked her in the gut. Her mother...hearing Charlie mention her mother completely obliterated the shield she had carefully built over the years. She squeezed her eyes shut, fighting a battle with the monster inside that nearly brought her down to her knees.

He must have heard her hushed sobbing. He must have. She took a deep breath, and steadied herself. Just another minute, she thought.

She quickly did the calculation in her head (thank god for my super brain, she thought).

"Thank you Dad," she said through her tears. "The trip will take me a while. Does 30 days from now give you enough time? I don't have any school records, but they can test me can't they?"

"Yes," he sighed. "I believe they can. I'll figure something out. Is there a number where I can reach you if I need to ask you something?"

"No," she said. "But I have an email address that I can check. Will that do?"

She had just seconds left.

"Very well," he said.

She spelled out her email for him, and hung up with a stiff goodbye. She dropped the receiver and bolted away from the phone. Running faster than she usually permitted herself, she grabbed her bag and sprinted down the stairs and out the storage room's window. She held on until she made it a few hundred feet into the forest. And then she finally released the dam that for so long had kept the monster inside.


	5. Changes

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. Please read and review, if you've gotta moment. Enjoy!**

* * *

**Day 20 of the trip**

Bella was stronger than she thought. The trip she had calculated was based on a 30-mile journey each day for 30 days, plus a couple of days cushion. Even with the half day delay due to her...condition...and of course, procuring her bike, she was able to make the 830 mile journey from Helena, MT to Forks in two thirds of the time she had allotted herself.

As she left the last town before she would reach Forks, she made the decision to keep her word to her father and wait until the 30th day to see him. That gave her more than a week to prepare herself.

Among the dozens of running thoughts and worries going through her head at the same time, one stood out: what was he going to tell people here?

If the town knew the Chief's wife and daughter were dead...how the hell was he going to explain Bella's sudden appearance? She didn't think they knew nothing of it...her parents had lived here before moving to Phoenix. Her father had then come back without his wife or daughter. There was no reason for him to lie back then. He had to have told the truth about Renee. It was all over the news after all. But Bella? Surely if he'd said she was killed as well, he wouldn't have so readily accepted her request to come home? The Chief's daughter, back from the dead?

But how else could he have explained her absence?

She sighed and rubbed her temples. She'd been inside her head a little too much the past three weeks, more so than could possibly be healthy.

She reached by her neck and grabbed hold of the tube connected to the new, now slightly worn pack tied to her back. She brought it to her lips and drank in the last of her water. Just as well, she thought. She had just passed the "Welcome to Forks" sign. She was here.

* * *

She decided not to risk going into town, at least during open hours, before she saw Charlie. Not knowing her official story, she'd rather be safe than sorry. And she didn't want to get her father into trouble.

So unless she wanted to turn around and stay in the next town over, she was left with little choice. She would have to stay in the forest. That was perfectly fine by Bella. The forests here were beautiful, more lush and vibrant than she'd ever seen in the midwest. She could do without the constant rain, she admitted to herself, but her new jacket did a better job than any of her old things at keeping her warm and dry.

She sighed as she thought of the last three weeks.

She had been forced to disobey her rules on the first day of her journey. The trip was too important, and 830 miles was not going to be an easy task. But she was determined to get to Charlie without incidents, so she gritted her teeth and waited in the woods behind the sporting goods store until over an hour after closing. With what she was planning, she wasn't going to take any risks.

She made her way inside (her levitation forced the lock open in seconds) and proceeded to haul out her biggest load yet.

She winced, still feeling guilty...but if she was honest with herself she was more guilty with how much she loved this bike than with her methods of acquiring it.

The Trek bike she had taken that night was worth more than what she normally needed to survive for a year. She would know-she did the math. But it was absolutely perfect, better than anything she'd ever ridden. It was stable, smooth, comfortable, and in the nearly 1000 miles she'd ridden it over all kinds of terrain it had rarely given her any problems. Worn out from her emotional meltdown earlier, Bella had given into temptation and treated herself for the first time since she'd been on her own. Maybe she was just relieved she hadn't killed anyone earlier that night.

She left the store 2 hours later with a new quality daypack stuffed with the other items she-attained. New shoes, windbreaker, heavier coat, several pairs of warm leggings and shirts, gloves, and a small blanket. The panniers she'd outfitted her bike with were also full of small luxuries she had never allowed herself before, and for the first time in her life, she now had an actual tent. She'd experienced a brief moment of wonder when it occurred to her that in seven years of sleeping in trees, caves, on rooftops and on wherever she could find on a dry forest floor, she had never even thought of finding herself a tent.

She shook her head as she cycled. No point dwelling.

Though riding furiously, Bella had also spent the 20 days quietly rebuilding her mental walls. She put more thought and care than she had previously thought possible into them. She had even, after furtively checking for miles around, on several nights purposefully thought about things that usually...resulted in terrible outcomes. She needed to test herself, to see if she could possibly make herself any stronger before she would have to face her father and everyone else who would surely be interested in her. She succeeded. Still to her complete and utter surprise, she had succeeded.

She neared a bridge that she knew as soon as she crossed would take her into the middle of town. She spied a well-trodden path a few dozen feet in front of her, before she would reach the bridge, and turned. Time to be Pocahontas again, she sighed to herself.

* * *

**Author's note: I'd really appreciate hearing from you. What do you think so far? I know it's mad early in the story, but what are your thoughts on Bella's gift?**


	6. Cullens

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. Please read and review, if you've gotta moment. Enjoy!**

* * *

Bella smiled when she reached the stream. It was like something out of a fairy tale. She set down her things and quickly refilled her water supply. Then, in a spontaneous move so unlike her, she took off her shoes and socks, rolled up her pants and dipped her tired feet into the crisp water. After the initial bite she relaxed and laid back into the damp earth.

"Mmmm," she moaned.

She kept her eyes closed and focused on the sounds nature shared around her. The water trickling downstream would have put her to sleep if she wasn't so focused. As always, she listened carefully to the soft breeze for anything it might tell her.

She didn't fully understand how this gift worked. Nonetheless she understood how to use it. Everyone could feel when the wind blew against their face, could hear when it rustled through leaves or blew against a window. Bella could too, but she could also interact with it like it was a physical object. She could manipulate it to move other objects for her. It was how she could float down from impossible heights-the wind simply did as she asked. It wrapped itself around her and protected her from harm, slowing her down as she descended. The same way, she could levitate any object in any direction she fancied.

Bella could also communicate with it. Not exactly talking...but if there was a train heading towards her she would be able to pick up the wind's interaction with it, and immediately understand what was coming, where it was coming from, and how fast it was moving.

It was a benign gift. She couldn't imagine how she could lose control and cause harm with it. Her other gift, though...that was something else.

She flexed her toes and sighed loudly again. Nothing but small animals stirred around her. There was no one nearby.

She smiled. Then, though she would stay like this for hours if she could, she quickly left the water for a few moments only to return undressed in order to wash off the grime of the road. She laughed aloud as she imagined going into town covered in the dirt that was now running through the water beneath her. Three weeks was much too long to go without a bath.

* * *

A large house stood a couple of miles to the east of Bella's campsite. The occupants were obviously wealthy and possessed immaculate taste, judging by the home's decor alone. Inside the house, three of its occupants were spread out doing various things. Edward was, as usual, brooding over his piano. Rosalie was sprawled on the living room couch, flipping through French Vogue. Jasper sat hunched over a dozen books in Carlisle's library. And Alice-well, she was flipping through cartwheels on the Cullen home's rooftop. Absent from the gathering, Carlisle, Esme and Emmett were away hunting for the day. A typical day in the Cullen household. Except something was about to happen that no one expected, not even Alice.

Alice heard it first. A small, musical, obviously very human laugh. She tripped in the middle of her cart-wheel and landed on her butt.

Immediately after, Edward heard her thoughts, and through Alice he inhaled his first breath of Bella.

Rosalie looked up at Edward who had suddenly appeared in the living room beside her, shocked at the outward signs he was displaying.

"Edward!?" She exclaimed, more confused than outraged. Before his name escaped her lips however, Jasper was on top of him.

"Rosalie!" He cried out. "Help me! We need to restrain him!"

Rosalie only hesitated for a moment, still shocked at Edward's behavior, but stepped forward with Jasper and pulled Edward back from the huge widow he had just opened. Alice jumped through the open window and shoved back against Edward.

"Absolutely not!" She exclaimed in her high sing-song voice, playful even now in the face of possible catastrophe.

With the window open, Rosalie heard (and smelled) what had gotten Edward so excited. A small voice humming in the distance-of course with their hearing it may as well have been right in the room with them. She heard the voice and smelled her scent at the same time. It was...profoundly delicious. She tried to come up with a better adjective so as not to fuel Edward's blood lust. The girl's scent was divine. As was her voice. All four of them fought down the venom that was dripping in their mouths. But whereas Rosalie, Jasper and Alice could clear their mouths and focus on the situation, Edward continued to be held hostage to his urge to bite the girl that was making him feel like this.

"Alice," said Rosalie through clenched teeth. "Call Emmett and Carlisle. We can't hold him down all day."

Alice had, of course dialed the number and started speaking before Rosalie finished her request. Rosalie rolled her eyes and focused on keeping Edward from inching toward that window, all while trying to not think of that heavenly voice herself.

* * *

**Author's note: Please let me know what you think!**


	7. Singer

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. Please read and review, if you've gotta moment. Enjoy!**

* * *

Bella finished washing up and slowly pulled out some clean clothes. She was deep in thought, frowning to herself for the first time since she arrived at her stream as she mulled over something that did not please her. She looked at her perfect bike out of the corner of her eye and frowned some more.

'Damn it,' she thought. This thing was way too flashy. How could she explain how she paid for it to her father? She might be able to come up with a plausible excuse...but the man was a cop. And it really is pretty darn conspicuous. 'Damn it,' she thought again. 'That was a short honeymoon.'

She felt silly for feeling so strongly about something she's had for less than a month. She has never been one for attachments. The longest she ever stayed in one place was two months. Usually her stops lasted a few weeks at most. And given that she didn't exactly have regular access to a proper washing machine and god help her if she tried to sew anything without hemorrhaging, clothing and the meager possessions she came by weren't things she ever held onto for long either.

She felt her forehead crease as she frowned some more. It made her nervous as she realized that in the last month she'd become mentally attached to living with her father again in a real home. Be careful, she thought to herself. Don't depend on him just yet. He said it himself-he hasn't, he won't forgive you. What exactly will that mean?

She didn't know the answer, but she did know she needed to get rid of that bike, and possibly some of her other shinier possessions if she wanted to avoid suspicion and awkward questions from Charlie. She made her decision right then. Leaving the clothes she had washed laying flat on a rock to dry, she quickly gathered her things and sped away from Forks in the direction she had come.

* * *

"Dude, you were serious?" Emmett exclaimed, his eyes bright from both the hunt and from excitement. Edward out of control...that didn't happen every day.

Edward growled as he heard Emmett's thoughts. But everyone's thoughts were along the same line, though Emmett's were the most colorful as usual.

He and Carlisle wasted no time pulling Edward back further from the window, which Esme rushed to close. They all breathed (figuratively) deeply, grateful to have averted a terrible disaster in the nick of time.

Edward finally lost the crazed look he had worn for the last hour, yet he still paced back and forth growling like a madman.

"It's still there," he hissed. "She's gone but her scent is still there."

"Wait, she left? When?" Asked Emmett.

"Half an hour ago," answered Rosalie. "I think-no I'm sure she was on a bicycle."

"Oh, well that's good," said Carlisle, relief flooding his face. "She's probably a camper then. And not from around here. No one local ever comes here. She's probably already moving on."

Edward's face contorted into a mask of pained torture. Emmett really could not believe this was happening...to Edward of all vampires!

He got a glare from Edward for that, but Emmett just shrugged. It's true, he whined inside his head.

"Emmett," Carlisle started. "Why don't you come with me to investigate her camp spot. You seem the least affected by her scent out of all of us."

Emmett started at that. He glanced at his wife and was about to speak, when he promptly shut himself up. Rosalie's eyes were significantly darker than they were this morning. Not dangerously so, and certainly not the crazed black of his brother's, but enough to startle him. She looked shaken and quite disturbed. Rosalie had never, in their 70 years together had this kind of reaction to a _human_.

She looked at him and nodded, confirming what he could already see. Whoa, he thought. This girl must be really something!

He chuckled quietly at the look Edward shot at him, and followed Carlisle out towards the campsite.

* * *

Bella believed in a lot of crazy things (she only had to look in a mirror for confirmation after all) but luck wasn't one of them. But here she was on her way back to Forks mere minutes after spotting a sporting goods store in the next town. The owner was so enthralled with her bike (he had sold out weeks ago and the next resupply wasn't due for months) that he offered her an unbelievable cash trade...and a cheap but durable old bike to get her home. When she traded down the panniers, the day pack and the other odds and ends she had acquired last month, she left the store with over $2000 tucked into every nook and cranny her shoes and clothing allowed. She had never seen, let alone touched this much cash in her life. She knew, technically speaking, that it wasn't all that much in the grand scheme of things...but she still felt like a millionaire, and couldn't stop herself from smiling all the way back to Forks.

She felt so good she decided to visit a supermarket on the way back to her stream and get something real to eat.

* * *

Carlisle and Emmett made it to the campsite in seconds. They already knew she wasn't there, but her scent was all over it.

"Mmmm, mmmm," said Emmett, unable to keep the laughter from his voice. "Tasty!"

Even miles away, he still heard Edward's growl.

Emmett grinned a big bear grin, and changed his tone somewhat for Rosalie's sake. "Well it certainly is yum-fragrant, but I don't feel the need to rip my hair out."

"No, nor does Esme, or Alice. Even Jasper says he only feels overwhelmed from Edward's reaction," Carlisle analyzed. "I am rather intrigued that Rosalie is affected. To my knowledge, this is a first."

Emmett finally became serious. "Yeah."

Carlisle walked around the site, and Emmett couldn't help but admire his father-in-law. He has got to have the strongest will power of any vampire, he thought.

Carlisle and Emmett saw it at the same time. On a flat rock, lay two object with the strongest of the mystery girl's scent: her clothes so it would seem. Emmett grinned, and both he and Carlisle turned to look to one another.

"I think," Carlisle started, "a small act of theft, just this once, might be called for."

"Yeah!" Emmett cried out. "I wanna see nutty Eddie again!"

Even Carlisle smiled a little at that. But then he turned serious. "Go easy on your brother, Emmett. It appears we're dealing with a singer here. I would hate for anything to happen to this poor girl, and the repercussions on Edward and our family if it does."

"Whoa," Emmett said, eloquently put as always.

"Yes," said Carlisle. "Let's take these with us and see if Edward can try to get accustomed to her scent."

They ran back to the house after nicking the clothes and making it look like an animal had made its way through the campsite. Carlisle glanced at Emmett, and he knew what to do. Emmett moved to block Edward from reaching any of the exits, while Jasper fought to calm Edward down. Carlisle threw the garments at Edward and stood by Alice, ready to intercept if necessary or should Alice foresee it.

"Where are Esme and Rosalie?" He asked her. He felt concern for Rosalie and wished to speak to her.

"The grocery store. Esme was restless, and neither of them could stand being in the same room as Edward...Rosalie especially. So she went with her," Alice answered.

"Very well," said Carlisle. We'll speak when they return, he thought to himself.

* * *

**Author's note: Hope you enjoyed! Please review :)**


	8. Contact

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. Please read and review, if you've gotta moment. Enjoy!**

* * *

Rosalie couldn't understand how things could become so mucked up in just a couple of hours. She was a vampire for god's sake. Unless it had something to do with your mate, vampires rarely felt so...confused by the mundane events that sent humans into frenzies. Rosalie couldn't name all of her emotions-another first-but there was one she did recognize...righteous anger. Who the fuck was this girl who dared do this to her and Edward? None of them have seen her face, yet she's already introduced chaos into their family. Rosalie growled to herself. She hadn't felt such anger in a long time, and one glance from Esme had both worried about Rosalie's control at that very moment.

"Maybe you should stay in the car," Esme said, staring pointedly at her.

She sighed but it came out more like a hiss. She sighed again, this time deliberately slow. "No," she said firmly. "I need the distraction. I'll be fine."

"Rose..." Esme looked uncertain.

This time Rosalie softened her facial features, trying her best to calm herself down. "I'm Ok. Really."

Esme nodded. "If you feel like you can't handle it, RUN back to the car."

Rosalie nodded back, aware that if she ran anywhere within sight of a human, they'd have a lot more things to discuss at home than one stupid girl.

They walked into the store. Esme had done this thousands of times, and knew the routine well. She picked up a cart and started the counter-clockwise dance around the foul-smelling place.

"Ugh," Rosalie crinkled her nose as she whispered for only Esme to hear. "How do you stand it?"

Esme chuckled, though she too had a crinkle all over her usually flawless face that suggested disgust. "You get used to it after a few thousand times."

"Ugh," Rosalie said again. "I'm going to go to the deli. I can stomach that a little better than this," she pointed to the rows of vegetables.

Esme frowned. "Are you sure?"

"Please!" Rosalie whispered, almost indignantly. "These humans smell nearly as foul as their produce."

Esme allowed herself a small grin. "All right, but please sweetheart be careful."

Rosalie smiled a real smile for the first time that evening. "I will. You too," she added unnecessarily. Esme wasn't as good as Carlisle when it came to resisting the temptations, but because she was so determined and tried so damn hard, she was much less likely than any of them to make a mistake. She put herself through the torture of places like this on a daily basis because her heart couldn't stand the thought of hurting others, even humans.

As she walked to the back of the store, Rosalie found herself thanking whatever vampires were supposed to pray to for belonging to such a wonderful coven, no, family. She wouldn't wish it on anyone, but given no other choice she knew that Esme and Carlisle were the best possible "parents" anyone could ask for.

Her spirits slightly raised, she wandered at a frustrating human speed towards the deli...when everything suddenly came crashing down.

She had rounded the corner when she caught the scent, and so when she stopped dead in her tracks she had a perfect view, at last, of their mystery girl.

She was of average height, shorter than Rosalie but much taller than Alice. Of course, almost everyone was taller than Alice. She was skinny, almost too skinny but not quite. Her arms and legs she could see, even through her plain, worn jeans and long-sleeved shirt, had a healthy definition and tone (for a human) to them. Her shoes looked like something to wear in the outdoors, and they were obviously well-worn. Rosalie held her breath the second she sensed her, but she decided to chance a whiff-wow! If Edward were here he'd kill half the people in the store in his blood lust. It was...heavenly, but she sighed in relief when she found herself able to regain control. I'm stronger than Edward, she smirked. She was just about to congratulate herself when the girl turned to look in another direction and Rosalie saw her face. Shit, she thought.

Rosalie felt herself getting torn to pieces in 10 different directions. She hated this girl for her beauty. She envied her. She pitied her. She admired her. She was undoubtedly curious as hell, but also angry as hell. She wanted to step closer and caress her cheek. She wanted to pounce and end her once and for all.

If you kill her, Rosalie thought to herself, Esme will kill you...and Edward too cause he'll be mad he didn't get her first. Oh shit!

Still, for all the racing thoughts going through her mind, she stood still as she watched the girl frown at the prepared dinners in front of her. Why did she look so confused? Shouldn't humans be familiar with these disgusting things?

Rosalie realized she'd been standing still as a statue for a solid minute and that might attract unsolicited attention, so she edged toward the lunch meats in front of her while still keeping the girl in her line of sight.

She was slowly walking the length of the glass buffet table, muttering the names of the dishes to herself. Her voice...there was no doubt that it was her. How can one person, one human be blessed with so many enchanting qualities at the same time? How is it that she was making her feel all of...this? How?!

Rosalie was lost, staring at her, all the while wondering what her deal with this food was. Was it really that difficult to choose? No...she looks confused. She looks almost as lost as Rosalie was over here.

Rosalie released the air she held in her lungs and slowly sucked in another mouthful of the girl's scent. Definitely human. Aside from...its potency, the girl was 100% human. She shook her head. Why then, did she look like she felt as out of place in this store as Rosalie did?

Oh, finally. Decision made. Yipee. Rosalie rolled her eyes, and though it took more willpower than she liked to admit, turned on her heels and left the store. She would take Esme's advice and wait in the car after all.

* * *

Breathe, Bella. Just breath, she told herself. Over and over in her head. This was not a good idea.

The store was packed, much more so than she would have thought considering the town's small population. Everyone goes shopping at the same time so it would seem. She hadn't been around this many people at once in a long time. Breathe, count backwards from 10. From 100.

If the crowd wasn't bad enough, she felt like an utter fool looking at all the choices before her. Now that she had more than a few dollars to spend, and since she'd adamantly decided to treat herself just this once tonight, she looked forward to getting a prepared hot meal...something she never had before, at least in part 2 of her life.

What on earth was a paneer? Or a quiche? Or a ziti? She was furious at herself for not knowing. She should have read something before...Or at least paid some attention in the other stores she'd been in. She had seven long years to prepare for this, and now here she was about to rejoin the human race and still behaving, looking, and now eating like an outsider.

She stopped the coil of emotion before it started its long wind around her heart and chose the quiche. The label said it was made of egg, and she knew she liked egg.

She walked slowly over to the sitting area, eager to finish this thing while it was hot and then get the hell out of there when she bumped into something hard that turned out to be a person.

"Oh man, I'm sorry! That was totally my fault. I need a license to walk!" Bella apologized to the person she hit, cringing a bit at the joke her mother used to make.

"That's quite all right dear," a voice called so softly and gently Bella had to look up from her perpetual downward glare.

'Wow,' Bella thought. She's beautiful. She had a small, pale, heart-shaped face that immediately reminded Bella of her mother. Her eyes were something else-the strangest color Bella had ever seen, a honey-golden hue unlike anything she'd encountered. But what drew Bella to her eyes wasn't the color, strange though it was. Bella could see a kindness and compassion in them that she hadn't seen in years. She knew it was partly her own fault for choosing not to interact with others on anything more than the most base level. Wherever the blame lay, it had been years since Bella had felt...anything...for someone else.

"Is...something wrong?" The woman asked.

Bella realized she probably looked like a moron, staring at the poor woman like that. Or a complete creep. She could see the woman was starting to look uncomfortable. God, no! Please God, let me make this connection, she silently screamed.

"No! I'm-I'm sorry. Really. It's just..you look-you look a lot like my mother," Bella cringed as she said it. Great, she thought, let's freak out the nice lady. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to stare. I was just...shocked that's all."

The woman stared back at her, and immediately Bella felt like she did something right for a change, because the woman's eyes seemed to glisten for a moment, and one of her hands reached out to touch her heart.  
"Oh my," she said. "Well then I completely understand. Your mother...?"

"She's gone," Bella answered her unspoken question quickly. "She died when I was little."

"I'm sorry," she said quietly.

Bella shook her head, trying but she knew she failed completely at looking like she was over it. She decided to steer the subject away from what could only make things worse.

"I'm Bella," she said, remembering at the last second not to reveal her last name. Shit, she thought, she really shouldn't be out here before talking to her dad.

"Esme," she smiled as she introduced herself. Bella stuck out her hand, and though the hesitation was very, very brief she still saw it. It's probably nothing, she thought. Strangers introducing themselves to you at the supermarket? Hell I'd be suspicious too.

"It's very nice to meet you," Bella said, and she meant it. She hoped that she was able to communicate that to her. Even if she was nothing to this woman, Bella wanted Esme to know how much these few minutes meant to her. It was the longest conversation she'd had in years.

Bella smiled again, a soft smile that, unknowingly to her, was able to warm Esme from the inside out. She let go of her cool hand, nodded and smiled once more, and walked away to eat her first ever quiche.

* * *

She wolfed down her quiche (yum! she thought) then decided she'd had enough of homo sapiens for one night. She longed to return to her stream. Making sure her purchases were secure in her backpack, she headed out.

* * *

She smelled them before she saw them. Cigarettes, beer, something else that screamed foul. They were scrawny though, and she could see baby fat on some of their faces. School age dicks. Great.

Bella's discomfort notwithstanding, she knew she had to do something when she saw them. They were crowded around a tall girl with flowing golden hair as she leaned next to a ridiculously good-looking car. The girl looked bored, but Bella could see a tiny hint of irritation in the crease of her brow, so she knew she was uncomfortable. One of the boys said something the others laughed loudly at, and the girl rolled her eyes.

Her eyes were just like Esme's.

Bella felt her insides shake, surprising and shocking herself in an instant. Oh no, No! She couldn't lose control like that, but she needed to get those monsters away from that girl, who was clearly a member of Esme's family. She wouldn't let them hurt her.

"Hey boys!" Bella spoke with a clarity that surprised herself. She didn't notice the girl stiffen suddenly as she looked towards Bella with a slow mounting horror. "You know how a drunk guy goes to the bathroom?"

Silence. Then laughter. "Come with us babe and we'll show you!"

Bella's faced betrayed nothing. "He holds his right thumb in his left hand, and pisses in his pants."

The blonde stared at her. The guys did too.

"You know why god created men? Because vibrators can't mow the lawn."

Bella didn't give them time to react. She just kept them coming and hoped the girl would get the hint and get the hell out of there.

"What's the difference between men and government bonds? Bonds mature."

"How are men like noodles? They're always in hot water, they lack taste, and they need dough."

"What's a man's idea of foreplay? A half hour of begging."

"What do men and beer bottles have in common? They're both empty from the neck up."

"How is a man like a snowstorm? Because you don't know when it's coming, how many inches you'll get, and how long it'll stay."

The girl still hadn't moved. Bella realized then that she wasn't going to-just like the pervs here, she was speechless and hadn't moved an inch.

Bella paused then, and that brought the boys out of their states of shock.

"Bitch has a death wish, Will," one of them slurred. "Let's grant it."

Oops.

The girl finally moved. And_ moved!_

Before Bella could blink, the girl had somehow made her way in front of her. Bella couldn't see her face, but from the looks on the guys' faces...and then Bella heard a low growl...and just as quickly as this whole thing started, the guys stumbled over themselves as they ran to their car and sped away from the parking light.

Neither of them moved for a moment. Then Bella decided to break the ice.

"Well if I'd known you could do that I totally would've let you handle them!" She said with a smile in her voice...anything to break through this tension.

The blonde turned around, and it was all Bella could do not to gasp out loud.

Bella struggled to keep her stare casual, not ogling. She figured she probably got that every waking minute of her life and didn't need some strange girl doing it too.

She thought her willpower to contain her destructive gift was difficult. It was nothing compared to this.

Bella didn't really pay attention to her clothes or superficial things like hair, though she noted that hers looked like a waterfall of gold, and probably felt like it too. It was the way she carried herself and the way she rested her gaze on Bella that nearly drew her to her knees. If looks could kill...

Don't ogle. Don't ogle. Don't open your mouth! Meet her fucking killer gaze with your own. Don't move!

Those eyes...

They were the same color as Esme's, yes, but where Esme had nothing but kindness in hers, this one had a fiery, angry, violent passion. Bella had the feeling that she would look the same whether she was snapping a person's neck or making love to them.

Finally, the girl flickered. Bella let out a small breath, then realized she was looking past her towards...Esme, thank god!

Esme's face was blank as she approached them, but Bella sensed a deep caution and decided she'd had enough excitement for one night.

"Well...I better start heading back. It's getting dark." Bella said, trying to lift the unease from her voice. She looked at Esme, and found it easier to convey her warm feelings. "Esme, it was very nice to meet you." She turned to the girl for a moment, then nodded slightly and smiled. "Goodnight."

She turned and started walking to her bike.

"I'm Rosalie," a soft voice spoke behind her.

This time, the big gulp of air that Bella took in was as noticeable as the rolling clouds above them.

Bella stopped and slowly turned around, giving the girl, Rosalie, a gentle but long look.

"Bella," she said in a voice just as soft.

Rosalie continued to stare, and Bella wondered if it was her imagination that she looked like she was in pain, or maybe she was about to do something distasteful-

"Thank you," she said, very slowly. Esme's face for the first time that night showed the disbelief she had felt since meeting the young girl.

Bella smiled, a true smile that reached her eyes. "And you," she said as she nodded slightly.

She turned around once again, got onto her bike and quickly sped away.

Rosalie and Esme stood unmoving by their car.

Esme was the first to speak. "What...what was that all about?" She asked in wonder.

Rosalie continued to look to the horizon, where Bella and her bike disappeared long ago.

"That," she paused not really wanting to bring up Edward's name, "that was her."

* * *

**Author's Note: Jokes aren't mine. I got them off of a website I can't recall the name of now. Oh, and I have nothing against men :)  
**


	9. Emmett

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. Please read and review, if you've gotta moment. Enjoy!**

* * *

Esme and Rosalie sat in silence as they zoomed towards their home. Esme opened her mouth to speak, then shut it...over and over again. She tried to sort through her emotions, but Rosalie's obvious...discomfort shall we say, kept distracting her. Rosalie hadn't said a word since they got into the car. But one glance was all she needed to know her "daughter's" mind was a whirlwind of thoughts.

She glanced at her again, and once again looked back to the road.

They were nearly at the half-hidden dirt path to their house when they passed someone riding on a bicycle.

Rosalie clutched at her seat. "It's her."

Esme sighed. "She must be going back to that campsite," she said. "We're going to have to do something about Edward."

Rosalie growled softly, but not softly enough for Esme to miss it. She chose not to comment though.

As the car crawled to a stop by the house, Rosalie called out "I'm going hunting" before disappearing towards the east.

Esme didn't say anything. The entire family would have to go hunting soon if Bella stayed so close. As she stepped out of the car, her practiced mind immediately started reciting all the woods, fabrics, paint colors and stonework she could think of. She needed to speak to Carlisle before Edward heard her thoughts about his singer.

"Emmett!" she called for her big bear of a son. "We're going to need you to stay by Edward tonight."

Emmett, Alice, Jasper and Edward had made their way down to her by then.

"Why?" Edward asked suspiciously. Esme answered him in her mind.

"Oh, god," Edward whimpered.

"She's going back to her campsite," Alice answered for Esme at Emmett's and Jasper's questioning looks.

Jasper looked at his brother. "I'm not sure restraining him physically will do much good," he said, "not if this girl is here for more than a few hours."

"Bella," Esme said before thinking. Damn, she thought. They all looked at her then, Edward with the most intensity.

"What?" He cried out. "How do you know? Stop blocking me, damn it!"

She would normally reprimand him for his language at this point, but instead she sighed and decided to tell them an edited version of their meeting tonight.

"She was at the supermarket," she sighed. "I ran into her by accident and we introduced ourselves. Rosalie recognized her scent."

Spruce, maple, cherry...her mind went on.

"Bella..." Edward whispered. Then he narrowed his eyes. "There's more, though."

"I'd like to speak to Carlisle before we discuss things. Where is he?"

"He was called to the hospital," Alice said.

"Uh, where's Rosalie?" Emmett asked.

"Hunting," Esme said, giving him a look. "I think she needs to be alone for a little while. Emmett, Jasper, please stay with your brother tonight. I'm going to the hospital to speak with Carlisle."

With that she ran back to the car, taking with her some "dinner" for her husband so she'd have a plausible excuse for the nurses.

* * *

Bella listened to the sounds of the dawn for a long time before she stirred from her sleeping bag. Her normal schedule before meant she was usually just falling asleep when the sun came up. During her 3-week trip she had particularly enjoyed waking up with sun. The wind shared the sounds of waking animals, rustling leaves, paws on the ground, and of course thousands of birds. It was rather noisy in this forest but she asked the wind to tone it down a few notches and as always, it granted her request.

Bella stretched in her sleeping bag and got ready for her wake-up routines. She changed her pants and shirt (she was grateful she hadn't sold her extra clothes as it seemed a wild animal had nicked some of hers yesterday), then rummaged through her bag and pulled out a couple of granola bars and her last peach. After washing the peach she proceeded to eat her breakfast as she thought about the conversation with her father the night before. She had found a payphone in town after her encounter with Esme and Rosalie, and decided to get the details of her arrival ironed out. She'd already spoken to people in town and she needed to be sure to have the correct back story for when people asked. The more she thought about it the more what Charlie told her actually made sense. He explained to her what he'd been telling people all these years. Bella Swan had apparently been staying with her aunt. Her mother did indeed have a sister, Carol, who had always lived on the East coast. But Carol was also deceased. Her mother rarely talked about it...Carol died at a young age long before her parents even met. Nobody in Forks knew this of course, and there were no other family members who would ever ask for Bella's whereabouts. She and her father really only had each other.

She was deep in thought when she was suddenly aware of something heading towards her.

Bella listened carefully. Something wasn't quite right. She knew the sounds of other people like the back of her hand. This one was moving much too fast. There was barely enough time for the wind to relay what was happening. What was going on?

It stopped a few hundred feet away from her. She continued to chew on her granola bar as she listened. It was...someone big. Huge. And he or she was walking at a normal pace now, still pretty fast because their natural stride was very large. Whoever they were, they then started whistling...twinkle, twinkle little star. Okay. If she didn't know any better, she'd say this person was trying to put her at ease. Not knowing what to do with that line of thinking, she decided to wait and see. She wasn't afraid-Bella doubted there was anyone alive who could pose any kind of threat to her. It would have to be a pretty extraordinary situation where she'd willingly use her gifts in self-defense and in the 7 years she was on her own she's never found herself in a situation where her own wits, speed, and the occasional round-house kick weren't enough protection.

_"...tinkle, tinkle in the car_  
_mommy drove me way too far_  
_with my cup of apple juice_  
_I just had to let it loose_  
_tinkle, tinkle in the car_  
_mommy drove me way too far..."_

Bella grinned at the stranger's very strange lyrics as he appeared in her clearing at last. Big, indeed. He towered over her and was built too. His short crop of black hair was curly and a little unruly. He would have been intimidating to most people, especially when alone and in the woods but Bella wasn't most people. It helped, too, that he wore a big friendly smile.

"Who taught you those lyrics? You should get your money back," Bella said with a smile.

"Ha! I made it up all by myself!" He said smugly. "Bet you can't do better!"

Bella raised one eyebrow.

_"...tinkle, tinkle little man_  
_there you sit right on the can_  
_when you're old you should stand up_  
_unless of course you have to pup_  
_tinkle, tinkle little man_  
_there you sit right on the can..."_

His mouth was open. "Awesome! Rosalie was right-you do have quite the potty mouth!"

That caught her by surprise. But then she noticed his eyes, and they were indeed the same honey gold Esme and Rosalie shared.

"Oh, you're..." She didn't want to make assumptions.

"Emmett Cullen. Rosalie's my girlfriend," he introduced himself, watching her carefully for a reaction.

There was none. Bella had plenty of practice keeping her emotions in check.

"Bella," she said with a smile. "Though you probably already knew that."

Emmett grinned. "So what brings a nice girl like you to a wild forest like this? Not scared of the big bad bears?"

"Please. Bears are scared of the big bad Bella," she retorted. There was something about Emmett that made it very easy for her to relax. Bella found herself in unusually high spirits. "What brings you here?"

Emmett studied her for a moment, aware that she had skillfully sidestepped his question, and shrugged.

"It's not as deserted as you may think," he said, pointing in the direction he had come from. "Our house isn't far. Rosalie said she noticed you biking in this direction last night as they were coming home. Seeing as you've met Esme too, I decided it was my turn!"

Bella's face didn't betray her confusion, but in her mind she pondered what Emmett had told her. It didn't make any sense. If Rosalie had seen her come this way, she probably only saw it out on the main road. Bella could have gone in any direction from that point. She feigned understanding and decided to just go with it. She liked Esme, and when Rosalie didn't look like she wanted to kill her, she liked her too.

"Well," she started. "It's very nice to meet you Emmett."

"Ditto," he said with a smile. "...Bella Bear."

Bella sighed. "I walked into that one, didn't I?"

"Yup!" He said with a smug grin. "So what brings you to Forks, Bella Bear?"

Thank god for small favors, she thought, grateful now for last night's impromptu conversation with her father.

"I'm going to be staying with my father. He lives here," she said.

"In the forest?" He asked with a twinkle in his eyes.

"Witty," she said sarcastically. "No, not in the forest. He's not expecting me for a few more days, that's all. These woods are awesome so I'm just exploring them until then."

"Hmm," he said. "So you'll be going to school with us then? What grade are you in?"

"Er-," Bella stumbled. "10th," she said quickly, hoping he didn't notice her hesitation.

If he did, he didn't linger over it. He was quiet for a few moments, then suddenly brightened. "Hey you want to come have breakfast at our house?" He asked, grinning.

"What?" That caught Bella off guard. "No, no. I'm fine, really. You don't have to-"

He laughed a big laugh. "Bella Bear, I'm here on a mission. Esme made a really big breakfast and there's a ton left over. She sent me here specifically for this purpose." He leaned over her and with a wicked grin he whispered, "she gave me explicit permission to carry you back if I had to!"

Bella gave him a funny look. How on earth had this happened? She was incredibly touched that Esme was had thought of her. But going to their house? She worried what could happen. She'd spend only a few minutes with her but already Bella was beginning to feel a familial compassion for Esme. She hasn't had a mother in so long...and everything about Esme screamed motherly love, or at least it did for Bella. Even now, just thinking about Esme's having made breakfast for her...she could feel her emotions welling up and that meant other side-effects were starting to well up to. She screamed at herself and the monster calmed. She should say no.

"Ok," she said quietly.

"Awesome!" He exclaimed. "Can I carry you?"

"I'm sure you can," She laughed. "But you may not."

"Aww."

Under his gaze, Bella packed her things into her backpack, grabbed her bike and together they started walking towards the Cullens' house.

* * *

**Author's note: Thanks for reading! Please review!**


	10. Beginnings

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. Please read and review. Please? With a cherry on top?**

* * *

"They're one minute away!" Alice practically shrieked.

Rosalie glared at her sister and rolled her eyes. Esme finished up the details in the kitchen. If anyone looked inside they'd see the typical remnants of a family's breakfast: dirty dishes, half-eaten food, utensils strewn about. Esme was pretty proud of her handiwork. She was a teeny bit worried about the food though-she'd never cooked for anyone before. She didn't think she could accidentally poison Bella with her pancakes...could she?

Jasper stood by the window observing his family members. Alice was so excited...he had to smile despite his trepidation. Even if he wasn't an empath he'd be able to feel the anticipation in the room. They were about to welcome the first human into their home. Even Carlisle was a little excited.

"30 seconds!" Alice squealed.

Jasper just shook his head. He had to admit, he was very curious about Bella. Edward's reactions were worse than any he'd ever seen in his long life. Edward was a 100 years old, yet any mention of Bella or worse, a whiff of her scent and he acted like a newborn.

The family had a long discussion the night before. Edward tried to make the case for leaving, but he was stunned-and truth be told, Jasper was as well-when that notion was met by an almost violent denial from Esme. Jasper wished he could read minds too, because nothing explained how a few minutes with the girl brought out the emotions that were reeling from both Esme and Rosalie. Their emotions were still unstable...bonds, as he knew better than anyone, took time to build...but their attachment to Bella was painfully clear. Also clear was their protectiveness of the girl. It was especially jarring to feel these emotions from Rosalie, who had sat unmoving and silent through the entire meeting.

Not knowing how long Bella would be in the neighborhood, Edward decided to go to Denali. Jasper and Emmett had escorted him until they were far enough away from Bella's scent that Edward could continue on his own. Both he and Emmett hunted then, before Emmett went to find his wife.

He didn't know what the two of them discussed, though of course it wasn't difficult to guess at the topic. This morning when they heard Bella stir, Emmett ran in her direction before anyone could stop him. They stood frozen as they listened to their exchange. When Esme heard that Bella was alone and would be so for days, she shouted at Emmett to invite her for breakfast.

"Darling, are you cert-," Carlisle had started, but Esme was already preparing in the kitchen.

"It's not a bad idea," Alice said. "She's going to be in school with us. We'll all need to get used to her scent. And we're going to have to protect her from Edward."

"Or we could just move and be done with it," Rosalie grumbled through gritted teeth.

Jasper shook his head. Rosalie was, to put it mildly, driving him crazy. He had never experienced so many strong conflicting emotions all at once from one person.

"They're here!" Alice leaped down the stairs and skipped to the door.

Jasper smiled again at his wife. Then he looked at Carlisle. "Stay by my side?" He asked his adopted father.

Carlisle nodded.

Here we go, he thought.

* * *

Bella failed miserably at keeping her excitement down when she saw the house. It was gorgeous. Huge and obviously made of money, it was still tasteful and understated...a strange contrast to the outrageous cars she spotted in the open garage.

She tried not to dwell on this visit, tried not to attach too much significance to it but it was difficult. This would be her first time in someone else's home. Not just the first time since the incident, but the first time ever. She had never been invited to a friend's house. She'd never had any friends.

Emmet's not your friend, she quietly reminded herself. None of them are. You're a stranger. You're despicable and dangerous. Don't forget that. Don't let your guard down. You can't afford to make any mistakes now. This is the one and only chance you're gonna get with Charlie.

They parked her bike in the garage and with a deep breath from Bella, walked inside the front door.

* * *

Something small and very fast attacked her. Bella had just enough time to raise her eyebrows in surprise when she found herself in a tight embrace with the-person, she could now see.

"Hi, Bella! I'm Alice."

Aside from the eyes, Alice looked nothing like what she'd seen of the family. She was incredibly short. Her hair was also short and sticking up in every direction. She exuded energy that made it seem like she was more of a child, but no...no one would think she was a child judging by the clothing she wore. Bella knew next to nothing about fashion, but she could easily picture this girl on a runway.

"Hi. It's nice to meet you," Bella said.

"Hello again, sweetheart!" Esme said from the top of the stairs. "Come on up, there's plenty of food left!"

Bella couldn't help but smile up at her. "Thank you, Esme. You're very generous."

Esme beamed at her, and Bella followed Alice up the stairs with Emmett tailing behind her.

They stepped into the kitchen and Bella admired the detailing on cupboards and windows. Esme noticed her gaze and smiled again. "You like my handiwork?" She asked.

Bella's eyes widened. "You did this yourself?" She asked excitedly.

Esme's grin got even bigger. "Yes. Are you interested in interior design?"

Bella nodded hesitatingly. "Yes. And architecture. I'd love to build my own house one day." She knew she shouldn't reveal so much of herself, but she just couldn't help herself with Esme. Bella thought she could talk to her for hours.

"Well now you're officially my wife's favorite person." A man in a tweed jacket stepped towards them. He was obviously older than the kids but not by much, Bella was sure. His golden hair was cut short, though not as short as Emmett's. He too had honey gold in his eyes. He continued until he was right in front of her and held out his hand.

"I'm Carlisle Cullen," he said gently. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Bella."

"Likewise," Bella smiled, immediately comfortable in his presence.

"I believe you've already met Rosalie," he said, pointing at her direction where she was sitting at the couch. Rosalie nodded the slightest of nods, and pointedly went back to her magazine.

Bella smiled shyly then quickly looked away.

Carlisle continued. "And this is Jasper," he said pointing to the young man who hadn't moved from his spot by the window.

"Hello, Bella," he greeted her cordially. He smiled and waved. She returned the gesture with her own smile.

"Ok enough with the show and tell! Bella Bear's hungry," Emmett said, grinning and pointing to her stomach which, embarrassingly enough started to rumble.

Bella blushed as they all laughed-well, almost all. Rosalie remained still as a statue in her spot.

"It smells delicious," Bella said quietly. She was beginning to feel overwhelmed. They were so kind. And they really seemed to like her, though she couldn't understand why. She thought her heart might burst as she let Esme lead her to the kitchen table. She closed her eyes and counted a few breaths as Esme piled some pancakes onto her plate. She took a moment smelling it, touching it with her fork and with a finger, reacquainting herself with one of her mother's favorite breakfast meals. The pain flared up at the thought of her mom, but she quickly stamped it out.

"Thank you," she said again, looking up at Esme who was smiling brightly at her.

"You're welcome, my dear," she said.

Bella ate slowly at first, savoring her first taste of pancakes since her mother died. But she sped up when she realized the family was watching her with something akin to wonder and curiosity. She finished as fast as she could, trying not to be rude.

"It was delicious, Esme. Thank you."

"I'm so glad you liked it!" Esme exclaimed. "Would you like some more?"

"Oh, no. Thank you, I'm quite full," Bella said quickly, not wanting to encroach on the kind woman's hospitality anymore. "That was way more than I'm used to eating at one time. I'll burst if I have anymore," she said jokingly, but knew she had made a mistake when she saw Esme's and Carlisle' frowns. Uh-oh.

None of them said anything more on that subject, thank god.

"Bella's gonna be moving here," Emmett said brightly. "She's in the same grade as you, Alice!"

"Oh! How wonderful! Where are you moving from, Bella?" Alice asked.

Here we go, Bella thought. Be careful.

"Pennsylvania," she answered. "I lived with my aunt, but she passed away this summer. My dad lives here in Forks, so I'll be moving in with him."

"Who's your father, Bella?" Carlisle asked. "If you don't my asking."

"Not at all," Bella replied. "His name is Charlie Swan."

"The chief of police?" Carlisle asked, startled. "I didn't know he had a child."

Bella blushed, looking down. "We're not close," she said.

Carlisle got the hint and asked no more. But Emmett was frowning.

"Wait a sec," he started. "How did you get here?"

"To Forks?" Bella shrugged. "Biked."

The family stared at her. Even Rosalie looked up from her magazine.

"You _biked_?" Alice asked, incredulously. "From _Pennsylvania_? _Alone_?"

"Er, yes." Was it that strange? Bella wondered to herself. She'd biked and walked 100 times the distance they were so astonished at. "It wasn't hard, really. It was fun, sort of."

"Bella Bear's a bad ass," Emmett grinned.

"Really, Emmett!" Esme scolded. "Come on sweetheart, I want to show you the rest of the house. I have a feeling you'll appreciate all my hard work."

Bella smiled and nodded eagerly, thankful to move on from the topic of Bella. And she really was interested in seeing this house.

She helped Esme clear the table and let her hold her hand as they walked out of the kitchen.


	11. Shattered

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. Please read and review, if you've gotta moment. Enjoy!**

* * *

Bella's heart pounded in her chest. Her eyes screwed shut and her hands clenched into fists. Alone with her thoughts, she screamed silently for mercy. But she knew as she cried out, that she didn't want, didn't deserve any such clemency.

She fell hard on her knees and wrapped her arms tightly around herself as she fought to maintain control. The pain she felt coursing through her body did not lessen, nor did it reach its breaking point-the point where the monster would be released and she would finally get her reprieve. Good, she thought bitterly. A fitting sentence.

She cursed herself for letting down her guard. The last week had been like a dream. For the first time in years she allowed herself to forget the past, forget why she was here.

It had taken just ten minutes with her father for everything she'd built last week to come crumbling down. She was such a fool. What she had built...it was a house of cards. A house of cards that Charlie had been able to knock down with one look.

* * *

It really was a wonderful week, the best she'd ever had. It was spring break, and no matter how much Bella insisted that she was, in fact, perfectly able to fend for herself, Esme held her ground and mothered over her like she was one of her own. Bella smiled briefly at those memories.

She had to hand it to the older woman...she could cook like a pro. Bella really didn't understand her enthusiasm...has she not been cooking for her 5 kids all their lives? With every visit, Esme would sit her down in front of a feast. She tried her best to please the woman. God knows she wanted to make her happy. But Bella literally couldn't fit a quarter of whatever Esme gave her into her stomach. She had seven years of habits to break, and she was definitely not in the habit of satisfying her hunger. At each meal, Bella managed to stuff herself a little bit more for Esme's sake, silently praying to herself that none of it would come back up later.

The rest of the time, she spent with Emmett, Alice, Jasper and Rosalie doing a myriad of activities. Emmett noticed her examining one of his video games, and immediately asked if she knew how to play. Bella shyly said she'd never had the opportunity, and that dictated the rest of the day as Emmett insisted she try out every console and game he had. She had to admit that it was pretty fun. Here was a great example of the benefits of her photographic memory and quick mental faculties. In no time at all after she had read the complete manual for one of the most complicated (according to Emmett anyway) games in existence, she was holding herself up pretty well against him...though still getting clobbered of course. It didn't matter though-Emmett was ecstatic to have found a willing partner (who, unbeknownst to Bella, couldn't read minds, couldn't see the future, didn't hold back, and could still make him work super hard to win). She smiled as she remembered his face when she beat him for the first time. His happiness at her improvement and skills made it hard for him to feign disappointment at losing, and his face kept going back and forth between the two extremes causing everyone in the room to laugh.

Alice was an odd one. The girl's enthusiasm for her was incredibly confusing for Bella. She couldn't understand how one day the two of them were perfect strangers and the next, Alice clamored for Bella's attention like they were best pals. Bella knew better than to question it though-as she slowly got over the shock of someone actually treating her like a best friend, she quickly welcomed it, enjoying for the first time in her life the knowledge that someone in the world really did like her enough to want to spend time with her. After a few days, Bella found herself returning much of Alice's affections...even after Alice nearly had a panic attack when she found out the clothes in Bella's backpack were literally all that she had.

She winced as her memories played back that day. Her off-handed explanations did little to get Alice to back off. Bella honestly did not care that she had just 3 shirts and 2 pairs of jeans. She kept them clean and they were comfortable. What's wrong with that?

According to Alice, _that _was a terrible crime. She had then proceeded to force Bella to try on no less than a few dozen outfits from her room-sized closet. Bella had to draw the line somewhere though, and absolutely refused to keep anything of what was offered her. It helped that she was living out of a backpack at the moment. It also helped that Jasper chose that moment to rescue Bella, appearing before Alice's bedroom door holding two copies of a recently published Lincoln biography. Beyond grateful, Bella laughed happily at the chance to read a new book (and secretly, at the comically crestfallen look on Alice's face) and followed Jasper to the living room where Emmett and Rosalie were already squared off with Halo.

Jasper's strong interest in history was a pleasant surprise, and it was refreshing for Bella to actually be able to discuss what she'd read with someone who could talk back. Bella was careful to hide the true extent of her knowledge. She had read thousands upon thousands of books on many subjects, including American history which was one of her favorites. She figured if she started reciting lines though, it might pose a few problems. It was hard to feign ignorance when Jasper mentioned one thing or another but Bella had to remind herself to do it once in a while in the hopes he wouldn't notice how unnatural her recall was. Times like this reminded her of how much deception would be necessary when she started school next week. She didn't like how difficult it was to conscientiously slow her reading down to the crawl she assumed was typical. She kept forgetting that it wasn't at all normal to finish a page in 20 seconds, and was grateful that Jasper didn't seem to notice. She sighed as she forced herself to stop reading for a while to let Jasper catch up. She'd have to work on this, she thought.

She sensed that she was being watched and looked up, only to see Rosalie quickly looking back at the screen.

Bella sighed, as her thoughts turned to the most mysterious of the Cullens' household. Not for the first time this week, she wished she could read minds so she could make some sense of the girl. Rosalie hardly spoke a single sentence to her all week. Bella thought her instincts must be wrong then, because at the supermarket it seemed like they may have made a good start. She shook her head. It didn't matter-whenever Bella thought she had Rosalie figured out, the blonde would do something that left her re-calculating in confusion. One thing she had noticed...Rosalie was always there. Usually she'd be lingering somewhere in the background, whether playing with Emmett while she and Jasper read, or reading a magazine on Alice's bed while Alice forced her to play dress-up, or playing chess with Jasper while she and Esme discussed the virtues of Greek columns...wherever Bella was, Rosalie was always near.

She didn't particularly care, only Bella didn't know what to do with the looks she kept giving her. Bella would constantly feel the hair on the back of her neck stand up and she'd turn, only to find the blonde glaring daggers at her. When their eyes met, Rosalie would just go back to whatever it was she was supposed to be doing...no explanation and never a word.

It was a long week though and they did manage a few interactions. One time they were all playing Halo and taking turns, when all of a sudden Bella found herself playing Rosalie for the first time. Bella shyly took the controls and proceeded, only to get her head chopped off 10 seconds later. She had only played this game a couple of times, but Rosalie didn't seem to understand the concept of mercy. For 5 agonizing minutes, Rosalie tore into Bella's flesh using the most graphically violent means available until the game ended and it was someone else's turn to play.

"Were you a ninja in a past life?" Bella asked, wanting the awkward moment to pass.

Jasper and Alice chuckled quietly, but Rosalie shot her another death glare and moved to sit by Emmett.

She watched the two of them. Rosalie and Emmett were together, as were Alice and Jasper. She observed them often. It didn't bother her that these couples all lived under the same roof-they had explained their adoptions to her the first day and really, who cared about stuff like that? No, she found herself watching the couples in quiet contemplation. They were all so...close. Rosalie and Emmett, Alice and Jasper...Bella got the sense that they could read each others' thoughts. They were so attuned to each other. Bella knew as much about relationships as she did about fashion, but she did have instincts...and those instincts were telling her that the relationships between her new friends ran deeper than she could possibly understand.

She felt like she had gained so much. In seven days she had felt more joy than she had in seven years. She had so foolishly forgotten...forgotten that when Charlie saw her again at last, he wouldn't be seeing the bright girl who had befriended a group of kids and their parents. He would see, and would forever see a dangerous, ruthless monster. He would only ever see the girl who killed his beloved wife...the girl who killed her own mother.

* * *

Only when the weekend crept up on her did Bella fully grasp how much she had begun to care for the Cullens. She had broken almost all her rules...and for once she was glad. Now that she had people in her life to care for, people who for reasons still mystifying to Bella actually cared for her, Bella for the first time understood how drastic the measures she had taken to punish herself had been. Now that she'd had a taste of warmth and love and friendship...could she ever go back to the darkness that was her existence? Had she not tortured herself enough?

These were Bella's thoughts as she pedaled away from the Cullens' home towards her father's. For the first time that week her heart started to betray her, but her focus was still as strong as ever, as was her willpower. She poured her energy into calming herself, and on the ride over did every calming exercise she could remember. At last, it was time.

* * *

From what she remembered of her dad, she knew he was a simple and down to earth man. So she was a little surprised at the size of his house. It was nowhere near the square footage of the Cullens' home, she surmised, but still it went against every assumption she'd made of her widowed, low-maintenance dad. Well there would be plenty of room for her then, she thought.

A passing car snapped her out of her thoughts. Enough stalling, she said to her self. Steeling herself, Bella wheeled her bike up to the front door and rang the bell.

A few seconds later, her father stood in front of her.

Bella's heart skipped a beat as she laid eyes on him. Very little had changed. Same old-fashioned haircut, same gentle brown eyes, same slightly unkempt mustache. His plaid shirt, washed out jeans and boots resembled her memory of him almost perfectly...

"Hello, Dad," she chanced after a few moments when it looked like he wasn't planning on opening his mouth.

"Bella," he replied. "Come inside. Leave that," pointing to the bike.

She followed his instructions wordlessly and walked into the house behind him.

"How was your trip?" He asked.

"Fine," she said quickly. "How, er, how are you?"

"Fine," he replied.

This wasn't going too well. She had no idea what else she could say.

"Nice place," she blurted. Great. Let's talk about the weather next.

"Thanks," he said. Quiet again. Then, "I inherited it. Folks passed on long ago. Was renting it before."

"Oh," she said, again not sure where to go from here.

"Is that all your luggage?" He asked, pointing to the bag that was still strapped to her shoulders.

"Uh, yeah," she confirmed.

"Good, good," he mumbled. "I guess I'll, uh, show you where you'll be staying."

"Oh," she said, trying to hide her confusion. Why did this all sound a bit...strange? "Yeah, ok. Thank you."

Her confusion only increased as he headed not for the stairs, but for the front door.

* * *

"Grab your bike," he said as he started walking around the side of the house.

She did as he said, keeping a short distance away from her father as she followed him clear around the house, then through a wide, freshly mowed clearing. She kept quiet even though she itched to ask exactly where they were going.

And then she saw it. From a distance it looked like a garden shed and as they got closer...it still looked like a garden shed. Someone had painted it recently, and despite the nosedive her heart was currently making she appreciated that he had done that much. She left her bike by the door while he unlocked it and stepped inside. She followed.

Inside, it looked better than the outside. It was more spacious than she had assumed at first glance. The main level was maybe the size of an average bedroom, but still big enough to hold a small couch, a table and a chair, and a motley assortment of portable kitchen appliances. There was a mini fridge, a microwave and toaster oven, a hot plate, and even a small blender. In one corner she spied a tiny sink. A ladder led to a loft space about half the size of the lower level, and there she could see that Charlie had put in a small bed and dresser, as well as a space heater.

"I installed this just this week," he said, pointing to the area around the sink. She looked more closely and this time saw a door that when opened, revealed a toilet and a shower stall the size of a phone booth.

Bella stood quietly taking it all in...and tried very hard not to think about what her gut was doing to her at this very moment.

"This is..it's wonderful, Dad. Thank you. It's more than I deserve."

He said nothing.

She took a ragged breath in. "Dad, say what you need to say. It's Ok."

He looked at her then, and for the first time she saw something akin to emotion on his face. She wished she could close her eyes so she'd be spared this, but knew that she must bear it. Charlie had probably never had a chance to uncork his feelings...because right now, the emotion that was playing out so strongly on her father's face...was unquestionably one of hatred.

"I'm allowing this," he started, his own breathing speeding up, "because there is an obligation I must fulfill. No matter how heinous the crime, a father must still provide certain things for his child. A roof over their head. Food and essentials to survive. An education."

Bella's gaze did not waver from his. He needed this. And she needed to hear it.

"I've failed in all those respects, until now. But you're here, and you have two years until you're no longer my responsibility. So until then, I will feed you and shelter you. You'll finish high school. And them I'm done."

She nodded once, slowly, too numb to think a coherent thought.

"This will be your home until then. I'll leave you $50 a week which should cover food and any other needs. Let me know if you need more. Do not come into the house unless it is absolutely necessary. You may go and do as you please but I don't want you to draw attention to yourself. Is that understood?"

"Yes," she whispered.

His gaze lingered on her for a moment more, then he pulled out the key and a few bills and put them on the table.

Bella watched him, rooted to her spot. He turned to leave.

"Bye, Dad," she said softly.

He paused only momentarily, hand on the doorknob.

"It's Charlie," he said as he disappeared out the door.


	12. Pain

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. Please read and review, if you've gotta moment. Enjoy!**

* * *

"I can't believe I of all people have to say this, but have you all lost your minds?!" Edward shouted.

Emmett winced, but held his ground beside Rosalie. The entire family assembled for this meeting, well, if you want to call Edward's temper tantrum a meeting. Edward gave him a dark look, but again Emmett did not waver. He was not going to let his brother win this one.

"We all appreciate your concern, but I think in this case you may be overreacting," said Carlisle, ever the diplomat.

"Overreacting?" said Edward incredulously. "Overreacting?! You let a human into the house! You let her spend hours, days with you. God knows what she could have seen! What? You don't think she might notice how none of you ate in front of her? You don't think you might slip and run a little too fast? Or break something that's impossible to break? Did none of you THINK at all before you decided to adopt her?"

"Dude, chill," Emmett interjected. "None of that happened, and she's spent practically every waking hour of the week here. If we were gonna screw up, it would've happened already. So stop freaking!"

Edward curled his lip. "And did you think about what this would do to _me_? Or should I stop freaking about that too?"

"You've improved," Jasper said quietly. "I've been watching you carefully with her scent. I think you might manage staying in the same room if you focused."

Jasper was referring to the dozens of clothes saturated in Bella's scent. It was a brilliant idea on Alice's part, and he helped her carry it out all week. Everyday Alice had forced the poor girl (who in this respect, was the complete polar opposite of his fashion-obsessed wife) into as many of her outfits as she could stand for the express purpose of leaving her scent. Almost always Alice would get carried away, especially when she realized how little Bella had. Then when Jasper felt Bella's panic and discomfort reach too high a level, he would rescue her with whatever distractions he could concoct. That night, Jasper or Carlisle would travel to Denali to deliver the clothes to Edward, where they patiently watched him struggle with the madness and coached him as best as they could.

He smiled as he thought back to the "distractions" he came up with. Bella had an amazing mind...she loved history as much as he did, and had read recreationally on the subject beyond anyone her own age. His own uncomfortable thirst for her appealing blood had subsided considerably, simply because of all the time he spent with her discussing this and that. He cherished her company enough to swallow the venom that still dripped from his teeth when a breeze blew her aroma in his direction. But for the first time in his existence, he refrained from attacking her not just because he didn't want to hurt an innocent human, but because he liked the individual in question-he truly did not want any harm to come to this girl, whether caused by him or by another. His observations over the last week told him his family felt the same way.

"Why can't you comprehend the danger you're putting us all in?" Edward asked, staring each of them down, "the danger you're putting _her_ in? If the Volturi catch wind of this..."

"I think I can speak with more authority on this subject than you can, Edward," Carlisle started, "and I don't believe the Volturi will knock on our door anytime soon. They've never graced us with their presence before, and there's no reason to think they will now."

"And I've been looking," said Alice, referring to her unusual ability to see the future. "There's nothing to be worried about. Please Edward, I really like her!"

"Clearly," he snarled, "you've decided to wait until something does happen before acting in our best interest. Shall I just go find her and have myself a nice meal then?"

Despite his ability to read their minds, Edward was still startled when his sarcastic remark was met with five different angry growls. Esme and his siblings, in fact, looked ready to pounce. Edward stood in shock as he listened to the thoughts around him. He was making a joke, of course. Callous, but a joke nonetheless. Yet, on the other hand, many of them had made terrible mistakes before. It wasn't something any of them liked to think about, but unless you had Carlisle's willpower and restraint, accidentally killing people was something that did occasionally happen. Deep down Edward knew that if he did slip, as awful as that would be, his family would deal with it in the same way they've always dealt with similar slip-ups.

Listening to them now, Edward knew he had better err with anyone in the world but Bella...because if he so much as looked at her in the wrong way, his sibling would rip his head off. Rosalie's mental images of what she would do to him (and the resolve behind them) were especially gruesome. But what was most jarring was Esme's reaction. Esme was the kindest and most loving person in their family. Even though Edward was technically "older", over the years she had played the role of mother so well that he often couldn't help but think of her in that respect. Her thoughts toward him now however, were not very motherly at all.

"Well, then," he said, bitterly. "It's nice to know I have some sympathy."

Carlisle sighed. He knew Bella's blood was torture for his eldest son, but he did believe he would eventually get past it. Like Jasper, he had observed Edward very carefully over the last week as he tried to get accustomed to Bella's scent.

"Son, I think-"

"Don't!" Edward snapped, as he grabbed his bag and snarled at his family. "I'm going back to Denali." And with a final growl he was gone.

Esme looked at her remaining sons and they both nodded. Without a word, they disappeared after Edward. They would try to comfort him-give him a few kind words and encouragement before he left. But they would also make sure he didn't carry out his earlier threat.

* * *

For two days, Bella sat in a near catatonic state. The only window was up by the bed, so that's where she remained as she stared out at the woods. She wondered, as she moved for the first time that day, what her breaking point must be. She had sat here, letting the pain course through her body without release, for hours and hours. It was the first time she had done that-purposefully not stamping it down, but not losing control of it either. And it hurt. It hurt more than anything she'd ever experienced.

You deserve it, she thought to herself darkly. You deserve it and more.

Bella had come here to try to move on with herself, but clearly that wasn't going to happen. Oh she would move forward in some ways. She would finish school so her dad-so Charlie could feel like he fulfilled his obligations. Is was all she could give him now, and she would, no matter how much pain staying here caused her.

She looked down from her perch at her new home. It was an improvement over the trees and rooftops that had been her previous sanctuaries. And to be able to have a hot meal and shower daily...that was a luxury...a luxury she didn't deserve. She looked down at her bed. It looked new, she was surprised to find, and even though the sheets and blanket obviously weren't they were still warm and comfortable. It's too much, she thought, her heart clenching again. It's way too much.

As had kept happening all weekend, Bella started to feel closed in and uncomfortable. She hadn't given much thought to how she would take to living indoors but now that she was here, alone in a tiny space she started to panic. She opened the window and took in a few deep breaths of fresh air. Exhaustion overtook her all of a sudden, and she welcomed the darkness as she lay down on her new bed.

* * *

Rosalie stood on a branch high enough so that she was able to see inside the single window in that godforsaken shed. She had stayed at that post for hours, watching Bella go through a series of emotions that had left her, Rosalie, trembling.

She couldn't understand what the girl was doing here. She thought she had gone to the wrong house at first when she couldn't sense her anywhere at the address she thought belonged to Charlie. But then she had caught her scent in a breeze and rushed to the tiny shack at the edge of Chief Swan's property, and there she was.

Rosalie had felt a mild panic as she watched the girl, because Bella had kept absolutely still for hours. It wasn't natural. Then again, every day this week Bella had caused her to come to that same conclusion in her mind. This girl was not natural. What 16-year-old has never heard of a Wii? She would never believe it if she didn't actually witness it for herself...the past week, it seemed like everything Esme cooked for her was a brand new experience for the girl...like she really had never had pancakes or egg rolls or steak in her life.

It wasn't natural how she'd wormed her way into her family's dead hearts. Emmett and Alice were absolutely crazy about her. Jasper had spent hours upon hours comparing books they'd read and arguing over pointless details...what normal human gives a damn about any of that? And what normal human reads so goddamn much anyway?! Esme...Esme was practically a first-time mother with the way she fussed and fawned over her...though Rosalie had to hand it to Bella on this one-Bella too seemed to care for Esme as she would care for her own mother, and she knew Esme's heart swelled with this knowledge.

As for her...Rosalie didn't know where to begin. It would've been so much easier if she hadn't had that encounter with her at the supermarket. It would've been nothing, then, to hate her and insist along with Edward that they leave lest their family be exposed. But that was an impossibility now. The things she felt for the girl...she was terrified out of her wits at the things she felt for this girl. That night after Bella had foolishly stuck her neck out to "save" her, Rosalie had gone to hunt and to knock some trees down. When Emmett found her later she had been so overcome she had sobbed silently on his shoulder. They had talked for hours then. Emmett was a kind soul with no real malice at all. He was intrigued with Bella and had calmly reassured her that the strength of what she felt only meant the girl was worth the effort.

He just had to befriend her...she thought wryly. Emmett and Bella got along like they were best friends (or BFFs as her husband so eloquently put it). She didn't think he had meant to take things quite so far, to get quite so close to her, but it happened and there was no going back now. Emmett cared for Bella just as deeply as the rest of them did. She couldn't hate her. Not when her husband loved her so much. Not when everything inside her screamed at her to get to know her, to get closer.

And now the girl who had captured her family's hearts was sitting in a dirty, tiny shed and looking like the definition of suffering. Rosalie had never felt so helpless before. She wanted to leap through that window and hold her in her arms, but of course she couldn't. Aside from the whole leaping through the window thing, Bella would probably freak if she reached for her in any way...she probably thought she wanted to kill her.

Rosalie sighed at that...she had let her pettiness go a little too far this week. As usual, she had let her own anger and shame out on those around her, and Bella was the perfect victim. She had glared at her incessantly, hoping her feelings for Bella would follow her hints and transform to real hatred. But that never happened. It seemed to accomplish the opposite in fact, as she felt herself soften more and more when Bella, instead of recoiling in fear like any normal human would, stared her down with patience and curiosity.

Rosalie sighed again. She would try to be on better behavior from now on. With that resolve, Rosalie looked at her one last time and ran home to Emmett.


	13. School

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. Please read and review, if you've gotta moment. Enjoy!**

* * *

Bella would've slept through the entire morning if it hadn't been for her screaming stomach. She realized with a groan that she hadn't actually eaten anything since Saturday morning's breakfast at the Cullens. Not that she was a stranger to hunger, but this past week had spoiled her a bit and she had almost forgotten what it was like to not know how she'd come by her next meal. She quickly checked her fridge and thankfully found that it contained a few things. She took out an apple and hungrily bit it into it.

After she satiated her hunger somewhat, she showered and pulled on her cleanest pair of jeans, shirt, and jacket and headed out to start her first day of school.

The bike ride took nearly half an hour and by the time she reached the campus the cool air had invigorated her a bit. Charlie had left her a box full of school supplies she'd probably need...empty notebooks, a calculator, pens and pencils, etc. It was strange to leave the rest of her clothes and meager possessions behind. But if she remembered anything from her grade school days, it was that she was likely to meet some bullies who would insist on upending the contents of her bag at some point during the day. Obviously she didn't want to have her only clothes in said bag when that happened.

She wished Charlie had left her some instructions on what to do once she got there. Bella didn't have any school records so placing her wasn't going to be all that simple. She locked her bike in front of the biggest building and, since she was there already decided to go in and try to find the main office. She was still incredibly early. Even most of the teachers weren't there yet. Inside she quickly found the office, took a deep breath and stepped in.

"Excuse me," she said politely, "I'm not sure where I need to go. Can you please help me?"

"Yes?" A tired looking woman replied.

"My name is Bella Swan. I'm new. Er-I think my father told you I'd be coming?"

"Hmm, yes. Yes, he did, although for the life of me why you couldn't procure your records I don't understand!"

Bella didn't think of anything to say so she stayed quiet. The woman sighed dramatically and bid her over to an empty room.

"Leave your bag here. These are placement exams for your age. Finish them and then we'll see," she said quickly.

"Thank you," said Bella, and quietly took the papers and a pencil and went inside the room.

Here we go, she thought to herself. Bella had already memorized the state's standard levels for sophomores through seniors, and she knew exactly what she needed to do not only to place into the correct grade, but also to tweak the system a little and get into classes certain friends of her were taking.

Carefully, but still in record time, Bella completed all the exams. When she walked back out the woman, Mrs. Cope according the placard on her desk, stared.

"Done already?" She asked incredulously.

Shit. Bella thought she had worked slowly enough, but apparently she was going to have to work a lot harder if she wanted to avoid raising suspicions. Deciding that trying to explain herself would only make things worse, Bella kept quiet as the surprised woman graded her exams against a rubric.

"Hmm," was all she got.

It took her longer to grade than for Bella to take the tests. Bella waited patiently, all while listening to the growing throng outside. The students were arriving. She knew that technically speaking, this school had a very small student body, but she was still quite anxious at the prospect of spending hours every day cooped up in small rooms with so many of them. Her heart skipped a few beats as the memories of the hell she'd endured as a child in school came back to her.

"All right, we're going to place you in 10th grade, but you can choose a few higher level courses if you'd like," said Ms. Cope, reluctantly it seemed. "Here, take a look at the schedules and mark your choices."

Bella eagerly took the schedules and tried not to look too pleased with herself. She had done it! And looking down at the schedules in her hand, fought back a smile as she realized she'd be with a friend for most, if not all her classes. She silently thanked Alice for letting her look at all their class schedules last week. In the end she'd be taking art and gym with Alice, AP physics and AP calculus with Rosalie and Emmett, and AP US history and AP English literature with Jasper, which Alice also took.

"Hi Bella!" she heard a bright voice behind her say. Alice danced her way into the office, a big smile on her face. Rosalie followed in behind her. "Got your schedule yet?"

"Yea, right here," Bella smiled. She showed her, acting like she had no idea they'd be in classes together.

"Oooh this is wonderful!" Alice exclaimed. "You have some classes with me! And some with you too Rosalie!" she said, looking at her sister. "We have art together! Oh, please be my partner! Please, please, pretty please!"

Bella laughed. It was impossible to feel any negativity around this girl. "Of course I will," she said, "but don't you have a partner already?"

"Nah," she started, looking a little down. "We kinda keep to ourselves...and people don't really talk to us much."

Well that was a surprise, she thought as she frowned. Bella couldn't imagine anyone not wanting to spend time with Alice or Emmett or Jasper. Rosalie she might understand...hard to want to hang out with someone who looks like they want to kill you...but Bella knew that Rosalie had a kinder, gentler side that she was still hopeful she'd reach eventually. She opened her mouth to say as much (not including the bit about Rosalie) but Alice just smiled gently and shook her head.

"I know what you're going to say," she said, "but it's true. That's actually why we wanted to talk to you a bit before class started. Bella, we really think you should try to find some other group to sit with at lunch. Not because we don't want to hang out with you! Believe me-," she added quickly when Bella's face fell, "but because you'll never make any friends otherwise. Trust me."

Bella really didn't know what to think or how to react to that, so she just nodded slowly.

"All right," she said, though it was difficult to hide the disappointment in her voice. Find other people to sit with? Other kids who'd probably realize it was more fun to torture her than befriend her? Her budding friendship with the Cullens still amazed her. That she had connected to strongly with kids her own age, and their parents, in such a short amount of time was nothing short of miraculous. She didn't think she could pull that particular rabbit out of the hat twice.

Alice and Rosalie showed her where her locker was and walked with her to Art, the first class of the day.

"How did it go with your dad?" Rosalie asked her quietly.

Bella almost tripped. Was Rosalie actually speaking to her? Bella looked at her as they walked, and the look she got back held no anger or malice of any sort. Rosalie was actually...gentle.

"Fine," she said, trying to hide the surprise in her voice. "It was fine."

"I've seen his house a few times from the road," she said. "It looks like a nice place. Big, certainly. Did you like your new room?"

Where was she going with this? "Uh, yeah," she replied. "Bigger than I've ever had before." It was the truth, actually.

Rosalie looked at her for a few moments like she was contemplating something.

"Would you mind partnering with me and Emmett in calculus?" Rosalie asked. "He never stops fooling around in class, and I'd like to get an A this semester. I have a feeling you'll be able to help me keep him in line."

Bella couldn't believe what she was hearing. Furthermore, she couldn't believe how beautiful Rosalie's voice was when she spoke this softly. No wonder Emmett was in love with her.

She nodded and smiled at the girl, and was ecstatic when she was rewarded with a small but genuine smile from her. Rosalie excused herself from their company then, needing to go in another direction to her own class, and Bella continued on with Alice through the crowded hallway.

She wasn't sure if it was because she was a new student...she was getting a lot of stares from the student body as they walked down the hall. Bella was about to ask Alice if this was normal, when she stopped and looked back some more. No they were staring at her and at Alice. Like they were seeing something, other than Bella, that they'd never seen before. What the hell?

Bella didn't have time to be confused for long because before she knew it, they were at the classroom door.

"Let me talk to the teacher first," Alice whispered, "...get to her to assign you by me, if that's ok?" Alice suddenly looked unsure.

"Of course!" Bella exclaimed. "Jeez, you don't have to ask!"

Alice smiled brightly and skipped to talk to the teacher.

That pattern continued all day. One of the Cullens was always there to walk her to her next class where they'd somehow convince the teacher to let her sit and/or partner with them. In every class she was asked to stand and introduce herself, which she did while hoping she wouldn't stutter or do anything to attract bullies' attention. During class she would spy other kids occasionally looking at her out of the corners of their eyes, curiosity clearly written on their faces. At the end of class she'd have the teacher sign the paperwork that needed to be signed for new students, walk out with a Cullen, and start over again.

There were two points in the day when the pattern deviated a bit. The first was during her study hall which was the only class where she truly knew no one. Without Alice, Jasper, Emmett, and even Rosalie to protect her, Bella was finally approached by a few other students.

One of them, Angela, was nice enough. She asked her name, about her time in Pennsylvania, and what living with her Dad was like after all those years. She was a little surprised, but later realized she shouldn't have been, that Angela and apparently everyone in school knew a few things about her already. It was a small town after all, but still...

Bella tried to be friendly. She really did, but it was hard with all the noise surrounding her. This study hall was not quiet, and a lot of the other kids kept leaning over and looking at her, wanting to hear from the new girl. There were so many of them. She didn't want to judge prematurely, but she couldn't help comparing these kids to the younger pubescent varieties she had last encountered in a school. A gleam in someone's eye, a smirk, a look of irritation or a sarcastic smile between friends...she knew the signs when she was little, and she recognized them now in some of the people around her. Still, Angela had only been kind and Bella wanted to reciprocate. So when she casually invited her to sit with her and her friends during lunch, Bella agreed.

As they entered the cafeteria together, Bella's heart drummed loudly in her chest and her ears throbbed painfully from the blood flow. She thought she had prepared herself for this but now that she was here, she felt woefully in over her head. Angela gave her a questioning look when she noticed Bella's white knuckles around her lunch tray.

"Sorry," Bella said with a weak smile. "I don't like crowds."

"You think _this _is crowded?" Angela asked in surprise. "There's only a few hundred people in this whole school! I take it you went to an even smaller school in PA?"

"Mmm," Bella replied, not wanting to elaborate further on her fake previous life.

They picked up their lunches and Bella followed Angela to a much too crowded table.

"Hey guys," Angela began. "This is Bella Swan, the new girl."

A chorus of hello's followed. Bella smiled a shy smile to each of them in turn as they introduced themselves: aside from Angela she met Mike, Tyler, Jessica, Ben, and Lauren. Bella was really hungry, but would hardly swallow a bite when someone would ask her a question about herself. She'd put on a show of taking her time swallowing as she thought of something to say, then respond in as few words as possible while not appearing to be rude. Whenever she saw an in, she'd ask one of them an open-ended question and thankfully, these kids seemed to love hearing themselves talk and obliged her with long, winded answers.

She glanced at the Cullens' table, wishing she could sit with them. Emmett and Alice caught her eye a few times and gave her a thumbs up, which comforted Bella a little; she had calculus with Emmett and Rosalie after lunch. Just a little while longer, she thought.

There was just 10 minutes to go when an excitable, raven-haired Asian boy plopped onto Mike's lap and smirked, "Miss me honey?"

"Ew, dude," said Mike. "Get off!"

"No can do!" Eric said. "I'm here for the 411! New girl! Bella Swan, right? Babe, what's the deal?"

"Sorry?" Bella asked, thoroughly confused.

"Word on the grapevine is you're pals with the Cullens!" He exclaimed as if it was the most obvious thing. "Do tell."

"Er," Bella didn't know what to say, or what Eric wanted her to say. And it wasn't just Eric, Bella realized as her stomach fell. The entire table was looking up at her with rapt attention. "I'm not sure what you want to hear. Yeah, we're friends. We met last week and hung out a lot. So what?"

Eric looked at her like she had a second head. "So what? So what?! So _nobody _is just 'friends with the Cullens.' That's gotta be a bigger achievement than befriending the Kardashians," he said wistfully.

"Like you could ever dream of hanging with the Kardashians," Angela stepped in. Bella sighed and silently thanked the girl.

"Ha! What's not to love?" He asked smirking again. "I got beauty, brains, and personality baby!"

They all laughed at that.

And then Lauren, who was very quiet until then while Eric was there spoke up. "No offense, Bella. But you really shouldn't hang out with them. It's totally screwed up that they live together and hook up like that. It should be illegal. And they're actually all super mean. I mean Alice is ok, but the others? Jasper looks like he's in pain all the time and won't talk to you. Total creep. The big guy, Emmett, actually broke a locker once when he was mad at something. He's dangerous and probably takes steroids to be that buff. Edward just looks right through you like you're not even there. And I'm sorry, but Rosalie is a total bitch."

Jessica, Mike and Tyler murmured their agreements and Eric, bored, left the table. If any of them had actually looked at Bella at that moment they would've seen a look of anger that few people had ever witnessed.

"No, she's not," said Bella.

"What?" Lauren asked.

"No. She's not," Bella said, loud enough for the rest of the table to look up. "Rosalie is not a bitch. She's a good person and has a heart of gold. And everything you said about the rest of them-it's not true. They're the nicest people I've ever met. And anyone who says otherwise either doesn't know them or doesn't deserve to."

They all gaped at her. She was still angry, otherwise she'd be extremely self-conscious from the long stares. Thankfully the bell rang just then, and she quickly gathered her things and left after saying goodbye to Angela.

She walked as fast she could to her locker, still fuming, to drop off that morning's heavy textbooks and head off to calculus. As she closed it again and turned around, she spotted Rosalie walking towards her. Again, she had that same gentle smile on her face...and again Bella caught herself noticing her radiant beauty. She quickly masked her admiration with a shy but friendly smile.

"Shall we?" Rosalie asked playfully, sticking her arm out. Hmm, Bella really hoped nice Rosalie was here to stay.

Bella's smile widened as she looped her arm through her's. "Let's," she said, and together they walked to their next class.


	14. Love

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. Please read and review, if you've gotta moment. Enjoy!**

**Author's note: To those of you who have written a review, thank you so much! This is my first attempt at writing anything aside from school papers and I can't tell you how encouraging it is to read your comments.**

**Author's note II: I want to mention here that I got the inspiration for the main relationship in this story from Tossing Stones by Princess Alexandria. If you haven't read it, I strongly urge you to do so-it's fantastic. Like, bloody, holy crap on a cracker FANTASTIC (so is everything else she's written but I digress). It's actually the one fanfic that made me a believer in the Bella/Rosalie pairing. I have to give credit where credit is due...much of the dynamics between Rosalie, Bella and Emmett that you'll see develop from here on is very similar to that in Tossing Stones. So Princess Alexandria, if you're reading this...thank you, thank you, thank you for inspiring me.**

**Author's note III: This is a very short chapter, but it's Saturday night and as long as I still have the energy I'll keep writing. Keep your fingers crossed for another chapter before I fall asleep!**

* * *

Emmett was supposed to be working on the sheet of problems in front of him, but at the moment he had other things on his mind...most of them having to do with the strange human he and his family had fallen for.

He had been worried about her, and he could see now that he was right to. Bella didn't seem to know how to deal with people. Oh, she was fine when it was just one person. But put her in a group...it was like she was another girl. Shy, withdrawn, even fearful. He couldn't understand it. How could this girl, who was completely comfortable in a house full of vampires, change so drastically in a room full of humans? It made no sense.

It was Emmett who insisted they keep Bella company as much as they could between her classes. After one glance at her, Jasper readily supported him. Jasper later told him of the anxiety he could feel rolling off of Bella whenever any of them weren't with her.

He truly wished they could find a way for her to sit with them at lunch but it was just impossible. There was no way she wouldn't notice that none of them ate. They were able to get away with it at home because they could always say they'd grabbed a bite while she was in another room. He knew she wished she could sit with them too-it was so obvious from the longing looks he saw when he caught her eye in the cafeteria, but it really was for her own good. He couldn't imagine what would happen if she found out the truth. Still, Bella was his best human friend and he didn't like seeing her obvious distress.

He smiled in wonder as he thought back to last period in the cafeteria. Bella was amazing! She had stood up to that cretin of a girl and defended his family like she was one of them. She didn't have to do that. She couldn't know that they were all listening. He was sure they all would've understood if she had chosen not to comment on Lauren's remarks. But Bella Bear wouldn't take the insults and she shoved them right back in that bitch's mouth. She spoke up for all of them, but he didn't miss that it was the mention of Rosalie that triggered Bella's anger. He saw it, they all did. Angry Bella was...a little scary truth be told. His perfect vision saw her eyes get brighter, her fists tremble, and he could've sworn he heard a faint snarl. He definitely heard her heart, already louder than everyone else's because he was so well attuned to her, triple in speed and intensity. If he ever doubted that Bella Bear cared deeply for his Rosalie...well he didn't doubt it anymore.

He looked over at his wife and he could see that she too was studying the girl, though she was doing a better job of moving down the pointless calculus problems than he was. This was the second time in as many weeks that Bella Bear had come to Rosalie's defense. And it was clear that she gave no thought to the implications either. If Rosalie hadn't gotten between her and those bastards last week...And today, while nowhere near the danger of that distasteful encounter, Bella probably ruined her chances of friendship with those kids. Bella couldn't possibly know the ramifications of her actions as far as Rosalie went, but Emmett knew his wife very well. Without knowing it, Bella was doing an outstanding job of getting his wife to fall for her.

He sighed as his gaze went back to his wife of 70 years. Rosalie could deny it all she wanted, and she probably would till it hit her over the head, but Emmett knew better. She was falling for the girl, hard. It would take a while for the two of them to realize it, but they would eventually...he was sure of it. Emmett knew the conventional thing to do was demand fidelity from his wife. He knew he was supposed to be angry and resentful of both Rosalie and Bella. But he honestly wasn't, and to demand anything from Rosalie...well, you just don't do that with Rosalie. Emmett loved his wife. More than that, he understood her better than anyone else...and she loved and understood him...they were mates after all. He couldn't imagine a situation that could ever change that. He believed with all his frozen heart that the marriage he and Rosalie built could withstand anything, even a third person. The thought of sharing his wife was, he admitted, a little scary. But if it was Bella...well then he was ok with it. Bella was worth it, and if things actually progressed in that direction, he had no doubt that Bella would care for and treasure his Rosalie as much as he did and as much as Rosalie deserved.

* * *

**Author's note IV: Sunday morning. Nope, collapsed soon after writing this. I have to go to work soon, but I'll try to sneak in a few paragraphs anyway.**


	15. Endurance

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. Please, please read and review if you can spare a moment. They make my day. **

**Author's note: I'd like to clarify something a few people mentioned in the reviews. This is NOT a Bella/Rosalie/Emmett fic. There will be Bella/Rosalie, and there will probably be some mild Emmett/Rosalie since their relationship is so integral to this story. I hope this is clear now.**

* * *

Bella sighed in relief when the last bell rang and she could finally flee. In the last couple of hours her tolerance for pain had reached new heights. She could feel Emmett and Rosalie staring at her all through their classes together, and could only pray that her stiff, focused demeanor hadn't made them suspicious.

Though her head was practically vibrating with the power coursing through her body, Bella was still able to reflect on what had happened earlier. She knew she was incredibly lucky. Bella was quite familiar with her body and the way it reacted...if what she felt had occurred just a few months ago, everyone in the cafeteria would be dead. In the past, when she'd come this close to disaster she'd take it as a cue to leave town. But this was the second time in as many days that she had this reaction and was able to contain it. Did that mean she'd finally found a way to live with it? Or was there some unforeseen consequence to keeping that power locked in?

God, what if she hurt someone again? She had worked so hard to keep her distance from people for the express purpose of never, ever repeating the accident that killed her mother. What if in the last couple of years, she had just been lulled into a false sense of security? What if she wasn't as strong as she thought she was?

She glanced at Rosalie and Emmett who were walking beside her out of the classroom. What if she hurt them? Or Alice or Jasper or Carlisle or Esme? Esme...Esme had become so much more to her than her friends' mother. Bella was not a fool-she knew what her behavior and her feelings for the woman meant... that she now very much considered her a surrogate parent. She doubted Esme felt the same way, but her treatment of Bella while she was practically living with them last week suggested she at the very least felt a sympathy and compassion toward the younger girl. A week ago, Bella was so starved for any kind of emotional connection that she had latched onto Esme with everything she had.

She blinked back a tear as the thought of hurting Esme, hurting any of the Cullens...

"Bella Bear, are you ok?" Emmett was asking quietly.

Bella nodded, not trusting her own voice at the moment. The pain she felt in her heart was in many ways more powerful and debilitating than the burning all over her body. She had to stay away from the Cullens. Every second she spent with them, she was putting them in grave danger. They had shown her love, compassion, friendship. They had filled the shell that Bella used to be with something that resembled a human being. The best way to repay them now was to leave them in peace before she made a fatal mistake.

"Hey," Rosalie's soft voice reached her, and Bella felt herself be maneuvered so she was looking directly into her eyes. "What's going on, Bella?"

Even as she repeated the words to herself, she knew she couldn't leave. One look in Rosalie's eyes and Bella could feel her resolve crumbling into dust. Bella could endure the pain her power forced on her. She could endure a thousand times the pain she felt in the cafeteria. But she didn't have the strength to leave these people...not if she wanted to hold on to the last shreds of her humanity.

"Yeah," Bella said to Rosalie. "I'm-I'll be ok. First day jitters that's all."

Bella smiled lightly. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow," she said to both of them.

"We can give you a ride if you'd like, Bells," said Emmett. "Your bike will fit in my car, no problem."

"No! No, that's ok," Bella said quickly. She would rather none of them see her pitiful accommodations. "I need to get groceries and a few other things for my room. I'd be holding you up."

"It's no trouble," insisted Emmett. "Besides you won't be able to carry much on that bike."

"Really, I'm ok," Bella silently begged him to get the hint. Rosalie, thankfully, seemed to sense her panic. She put a hand on Emmett's arm and gave him a meaningful look. Bella sent her a grateful smile and, after saying a hurried goodbye, pedaled herself away.

* * *

"Don't take it personally, love," Rosalie said. "I don't think she wants us to see where she lives."

"Huh?" Asked Emmet. "Why not?"

Rosalie sighed. She would rather let Bella explain in her own time, but she couldn't lie to Emmett.

"Come on," she said, leading him to the jeep. "We'll talk on the way."

They waved to their siblings to meet them at home. After they'd driven a mile or so away from the school, Rosalie turned to her husband.

"I spent most of yesterday in the woods by Chief Swan's house," she said, cringing a little at his amused expression. "Her father's making her live in the garden shed."

"WHAT?!" He shouted, veering the car close to the yellow line.

"Yeah," she said sadly. "That was pretty much my reaction too."

"I'm gonna kill him," Emmett growled.

"I'll help you," she mumbled. They weren't serious, of course. The both knew that. "But let's find out what his deal is first. Bella has to want to tell us."

They were both quiet for a few minutes as they sped.

"I'm glad you've decided to give her a chance," Emmett said quietly.

Rosalie didn't respond right away. After a few moments of silence she looked out the window and said, "you know why I..."

Emmett reached over the console and held her hand. "I know. Hey," he said, when she continued to frown out the window. "I love you. And I'll say it everyday if I have to...I'll support you no matter what happens. I know you think I'm crazy, Rose, but this girl..., she's different. She's worth it."

Rosalie didn't respond, though she did give Emmett's hand a squeeze. Her heart swelled with love for her husband. She couldn't have found a better man than him.

* * *

"A penny for your thoughts, dearest," Alice said playfully.

Jasper looked at his wife. She was in the passenger's seat of his car, radiant as ever.

"It's Bella," he said, slowly. "Did you...did you notice anything off about her after lunch today?"

"Hmm," she said. "I'm not sure. Off in what way? She can run faster than any human I've seen. The gym teacher was begging her to join track." She smiled at the memory of the man's incredulous face as Bella kept refusing his offers.

"That's not what I mean," said Jasper.

"Then what exactly do you mean?" asked Alice impatiently. He still hadn't decided to say anything so she couldn't see what he was talking about.

Jasper chuckled at his wife's impatience. Then he was serious again. "I can't make sense of her emotions. After she left the cafeteria, it felt like Bella was in terrible pain."

"What? Why?" Alice asked, concerned.

"I don't know," said Jasper, frustrated. "Nothing actually happened, physically. But this was much too intense to be just emotional. No, she was in real, physical pain. And it hurt like hell." Jasper winced remembering how he had to excuse himself from class to go outside. He had to put some distance between himself and Bella, it was that bad.

"And when I joined you in the hall after your class together," he continued, "it was still there, only her face betrayed nothing. You'd never know by looking at her that anything was wrong. But Alice, I swear, something was very, very wrong today."

Alice frowned, deep in thought.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Jasper asked as he grinned wryly.

"She's very difficult to see," she said quietly.

"What?" Jasper exclaimed. This was new.

"It's not impossible," she said, "but it's like I have to fight through this really thick fog to get to her. I can get through, but it gives me a terrible headache."

Jasper stared at Alice.

"No," she said, having seen him ask the question on his mind. "Nothing like this has ever happened before. As far as I know, nobody else in the world can block me like that. It's maddening..."

"I wonder if she can block Edward, too..." Jasper mused, wishing for the thousandth time he could acquire that particular ability. Edward was still in Denali, and still pissed off at his family. Any other coven, and Jasper would've been worried Edward would go to the Volturi to rat them out. But one of the benefits of their vegetarian lifestyle was the ability to form familial bonds, and so Jasper didn't really worry about something like that happening. But he sure was angry enough, Jasper thought darkly. He sighed. Tonight was his turn to deliver Bella's scent to his brother. He really wasn't looking forward to a night of Edward's melodrama, but it had to be done. He decided right then and there not to reveal what he'd felt from Bella. No need to fuel the drama.

Alice nodded next to him. "It'll work. He won't hear anything," she said.

They drove in companionable silence once again.

"Hey!" Alice exclaimed, nearly startling him. "We're almost out of clothes," referring to the ones with Bella's scent. "We'll have to get her to try some more! I've got to find a way to get her to take some..."

Jasper chuckled. Poor Bella.

* * *

**Author's note: Ok, so I've taken a few liberties with Alice's visions. But this Bella is different from Twilight Bella. The gifts she possesses, the experiences she's had have made her a completely different person. If it's possible to block Edward's gift, there's no reason why it can't be possible to block, or, in this case, significantly hamper Alice's. **


	16. Renée

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. Please read and review. It makes me smile. **

* * *

Bella tapped her foot nervously thinking that surely, what she was about to do couldn't possibly be more difficult than the rest of the day had been. But as she waited for Charlie to answer the door, she knew she'd take a few hours with a horde of teenagers any day over this. Just say hello, ask your question, and say goodbye, she thought to herself. Nothing to it.

She straightened when she heard his footsteps on the other side of the door and before she knew it, he was staring at her, a questioning look in his eyes.

"Hello!" Bella blurted, before she could deviate from her plan. "How are you?" Fuck. 2 seconds and you can't stick with a plan. Brilliant, Bella.

Charlie's face was blank. "Fine," he said flatly, then stood silently, waiting. A few moments later, he sighed and asked, "what can I do for you, Bella?"

Bella swallowed. "I came to ask you for permission to get a library card," she said. "If it's ok, can you please sign this application? I'm sorry to bother you, but they need a parent's permission."

Charlie nodded. "All right. Let me get a pen." He turned to go inside, then paused and faced Bella again. "You can come inside if you want."

Surprised, Bella nodded and followed him in.

The last time she was here she was so distracted with seeing Charlie that she didn't really get a good look at the place. Now, while Charlie rummaged around in the kitchen, Bella's eyes wandered and took in the place her father called home. The furniture was a little old-fashioned. She couldn't be sure, but it didn't look like Charlie had updated anything when he inherited this place. Everywhere, there were signs that this was a man's house. An empty pizza box, a can of beer, a very expensive looking entertainment center...the kinds of things she supposed were typical in a house without a woman's touch.

The only feminine-ish looking area was a table off to the side in the entryway that contained a set of tastefully positioned photographs in nice picture frames. Bella walked towards it to take a closer look, and immediately wished she hadn't.

Her breath hitched in her throat as she was confronted with a dozen pictures of her mother.

Renée was so beautiful. Her eyes glowed with warmth and laughter. She remembered her always full of life and funny quirks...the kind of person who would buy an ice cream cone in the middle of the coldest day just because the ice cream man was probably lonely...the kind of mom who didn't get mad when Bella got paint all over her shirt, but would instead laugh and help her paint her pants so they'd match.

There on the table before her, she saw pictures of her mother on her wedding day, when she was a teenager, younger than Bella playing on a swing, in a park with Charlie, laying on a picnic blanket, and many more. Bella stared and stared, like an addict within sight of his fix. In seven years, the only pictures she had of her mother were what she could conjure in her mind. And she was so young when it happened...this woman before her put her mental image of her to shame. She was perfect. And Bella had destroyed her.

The second Bella realized who was in the photographs she had braced herself for the pain. It didn't disappoint.

For the second time that day her body boiled, the pain strong enough to knock out anyone in the world but Bella, who was so used to this feeling that, even though it still shocked her to the core, it was practically second nature. To the casual observer, Bella looked the same as she did 10 seconds ago. Inside, she was burning.

She took a deep breath as she clutched one of the photographs in her hands. Renée wasn't smiling in this one. She was older, close to her last years of life. The picture was taken in a playground somewhere. She was sitting on top of a slide, looking off to her right in the distance...as if she could see something that nobody else could. Bella looked at that picture for a long time, wondering what her mother was seeing...wondering if she had any idea her young daughter harbored a monster deep inside her.

Charlie cleared his throat, and Bella took a step back, still holding that picture.

"Here you go," he said, handing her the signed application.

"Thank you," said Bella. She felt the pain rise slightly as she asked, "Can I-can I have one of these? Please?"

Charlie didn't say anything though he stiffened, like he was about to say no. But then he swallowed and slowly nodded.

"Can I have this one?" Bella asked, holding out the picture in her hand so her father could see.

Again, he nodded.

"Thank you, Charlie." And before he could change his mind, before Bella could burst into tears, she took the photograph and the application, and left for home.

* * *

Alice looked at her watch impatiently as she waited in front of the shed. She glared at it darkly. Now, now, she admonished herself. The shed didn't do anything to you, and Bella probably wouldn't appreciate you leveling her...home. She sighed as she paced back and forth in front of the door. One problem at a time, she told herself. Tonight, her task was to cheer Bella up.

30 minutes ago, Alice was painting one of her bedroom walls-something she liked to do every few weeks or so-when she thought she'd take a break and work on her Bella-gazing. Maybe if she practiced it would get easier. She concentrated hard, and then harder still on her favorite human. Fog. Ugh. She closed her eyes and imagined sweeping the fog aside. Gradually, tortuously, it worked. But she didn't like what she saw-Bella was curled up on her bed and crying. Alice quickly withdrew from the vision, grabbed her keys, and ran to her car before anyone could ask questions. Friends are supposed to help one another, she thought. It was her job to comfort Bella, so that's what she would do.

When she got to the Swans' house, she parked her car (well, it was Edward's car, technically) a little ways off. She saw Bella almost immediately, walking up to the house from somewhere else on the property. She knew the vision's timing wouldn't be for a 10 minutes or so, and she was curious, so she ran in the direction Bella had come from to see what was out there.

The garden shed confused her at first, then horrified her as the obvious truth sunk in. She leaped up to the only window to look inside and sure enough, there was the bed from her vision. This was where Bella lived. She hissed into the night. There would be time for that later, she thought. Bella would get here in a couple of minutes and she didn't want to scare the poor girl.

She heard the front door of the house open and close. Alice darted into the shadows to wait until Bella made it inside that goddamn shed. She waited another minute then she made her way over and knocked.

* * *

Bella looked so cute with her mouth open like that.

"Hi Bella!" Alice said with as much cheeriness as she could muster.

"Uh, hi," said Bella. "What-how?"

Alice was nothing if not quick on her feet. "I was coming over to see you, and saw you walk in here," she said, shrugging. "May I come in?"

"Oh...yea. Sure," said Bella. The poor girl looked ready to die of embarrassment as Alice looked around.

"Hmm," said Alice, trying to hide her distaste at the uncomfortable looking couch. "When were you planning on telling me about this place?"

Bella blushed even more. "Umm, I wasn't...going to."

"Bella!" Alice said indignantly. "I thought we were friends!"

"We are!" Bella quickly said.

"Friends don't keep things like this from each other," Alice pouted, but felt a little guilty even as the words came out of her mouth. There was so much she had to keep from her friend...She wished, as she had many times that week, that she could really spill everything to Bella.

Bella looked down, and Alice felt even more guilty at Bella's sad face. She wasn't doing a very good job cheering her up.

"Oh don't worry about it. We _will _talk about this later," Alice said sternly. "But I didn't come to yell at you. I came to ask if you wanted to come over and play!"

"Play?" Bella asked, smiling now. Yes! It was working! "What, dress-up?"

"Oooh, well since you suggested it..."

"Oh god, no!" Bella exclaimed in mock horror. "Alice, you can't possibly be serious."

"I'm always serious you silly girl," Alice tisked. "But I'll reward you for coming up with the idea yourself...let's see, you only have to try on 10 outfits tonight...and let me pick something for you to wear tomorrow!"

Bella made a show of thinking about it for a second. "Promise no skirts or dresses and you have a deal."

Oh well, small moves, Alice thought. "Deal!"

Alice waited while Bella made sure her homework was in her backpack, then together they ran off to Alice's (Edward's) car.

* * *

"Can I ask you something?" Alice started.

"Sure," replied Bella.

Alice paused, hoping she didn't do anything to upset the girl. They had just started off in the car, and Alice was driving painfully slow so she would have the chance to ask this question.

"When you opened your door, your eyes were red," Alice said softly. "Why were you crying?"

Bella didn't say anything for a while, and Alice again cursed whatever block Bella was putting on her. She didn't usually start a difficult conversation without vetting possible scenarios first.

"There were some pictures of my mom in Charlie's house," said Bella. "They made me sad."

"Because you miss her?" Alice asked.

"Yes," said Bella.

"What was she like?" Alice asked. If Bella was the product of her mother and father, and her father was such an asshole-she held back a growl-then her mother must have been a saint, Alice thought.

Bella smiled sadly. "She was amazing. She taught kindergarten, and always acted like a child herself. Drove Charlie crazy sometimes, but I loved it. My mom was this big kid. She was my best friend."

Alice wasn't sure if it was appropriate to ask or not. Humans can get so touchy about death.

Bella sighed. "It's ok, you can ask."

"What happened?" Alice asked.

"Gas leak," whispered Bella. "Whole neighborhood went up. A lot of people died. I was with Charlie, on our way back from some store when it happened."

If Alice could cry, she would have. "I'm sorry, Bella," she said.

A little while later, Alice spoke up again. "You know, I don't' remember my life before Carlisle and Esme adopted me."

"You don't?" Bella asked, obviously surprised.

"No," Alice said, sadly. "I'm not even sure if Alice is my real name...I wish I could remember my life before...What my parents were like, if I had any brothers and sisters. I know it must be hard missing your mom like you do, but at least you have the memories. She sounds like she was a really awesome person. You were lucky to have her, even for just a short while. And I think she was lucky to have you...because now she lives on in your memories."

Bella said nothing, but reached over and grabbed Alice's hand. Alice felt the tug of a smile on her face as she looked at her best friend.

"Thanks," said Bella, just as they reached Alice's house.

Emmett is right, Alice thought. This one is so worth it.

* * *

**Author's note: I'd love to hear what you think of this one. First time Alice POV. It was hard figuring out where to begin with her. How do you write a story from the perspective of someone who, in theory, has the potential to know everything that's gonna happen before it happens? Looking forward to reading your reviews!**


	17. Family

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. Please take the time to review. Every time I look at my phone and see a new review notification, it's like a rainbow in my heart. Keep the rainbow alive.**

**Author's note: I apologize for not updating yesterday. I sat down with the laptop and started to write...then woke up 5 hours later :( **

* * *

"Emmett! Put me DOWN or so help me God I will super glue your balls to your ASS!"

Bella heard a chorus of chuckles downstairs, and unfortunately, from the person making her mouth off.

Emmett ignored Bella's protests and continued hauling her around like a potato sack. Until 10 seconds ago she was very happy to see him-he had just rescued her from Alice's clutches after all. Alice had stuck to her promise of 10 outfits to try, but Bella had failed to stipulate the number of shoes and accessories. So the combinations increased exponentially when, with every pair of pants and shirt, she also had to model shoes, belts, scarves, jewelry, hats, and things she didn't even have names for.

"Bella Bear, you spent hours with Alice!" Emmett pouted, which would've been pretty funny to see on a ripped guy like him...except the only thing Bella could see at the moment was his behind. "It's my turn! You promised!"

He plopped her beside Rosalie on the couch, where he had already laid out her controller, snacks, and glass of water. Bella was touched, and though she wanted to continue to glare daggers at him, rolled her eyes and smiled to herself a little.

"You can say it," Rosalie said with a smile. "My Emmett's a toddler."

Bella had to laugh at the mental picture of Emmett in diapers. She wondered if she could see any of their baby pictures, but just as quickly as the thought had come she dismissed it. She didn't know a lot of the details behind their adoptions-they might not have any such childhood mementos. She certainly didn't.

"Don't let him monopolize your time," said Rosalie. "You probably have a ton of school work to catch up on. Oh, and I could use your help with a few calc problems if you don't mind. You seemed to have it down in class."

Bella nodded, still unsure how to behave with a friendly Rosalie. She supposed she'd get used to it, but part of her worried that as soon as she did, Rosalie would change her behavior again. Bella also thought she shouldn't mention that her work was already completed. Completed, and of course, perfect. She knew she should be a teensy bit careful and not draw too much attention to herself at school. But great academics weren't the end of the world. Surely there were plenty of whiz kids out there. Bella only had two years and change to build herself a way to to move on. Perfect grades and glowing recommendations should help secure college and, hopefully, a scholarship.

Bella didn't have time to ponder anymore, because she now had to keep her character alive through the assault Emmett had them walk into. Bella really did enjoy hanging out with Emmett. No matter what they did together, Emmett had a way of making her constantly laugh-like when he started whistling the Jaws theme as they prepared for an ambush. She couldn't help but be envious a little-if only she could be carefree like that. Emmett shouted instructions to her ("Bang Bang, Bella Bear!"), prompting her to laugh again. It was then that she realized she _was _carefree and happy...when she was with this family. Emmett and Alice, Rosalie and Jasper, Esme and even Carlisle when she got to see him...they made it hard to linger in her usual depression. It was easy, so easy to smile and laugh and joke around in the company of these slightly odd golden-eyed bunch. They made her feel like a part of their family. Bella thought back to her earlier fears and vowed that she would do everything in her power to keep them from harm. Even though she had "superpowers" Bella had never felt like a superhero. If anything, her years in exile were a desperate attempt to avoid becoming a villain. Now though, she thought as she looked at each member of her surrogate family, now she has something to protect.

Later, after a few more rounds with Emmett, he, Rosalie and Bella worked together on their calculus homework. Bella of course had no way of knowing that Rosalie and Emmett had done these particular problems dozens of times before...Nonetheless, Rosalie and Emmett were secretly impressed with Bella's rapid understanding of the subject, and the effectiveness of her "tutoring."

After calculus, Emmett tried to get Bella into a new game.

"Really, Emmett," Carlisle said, giving his son a look. "I'm sure Bella has a mountain of homework to catch up on."

"Actually I'm all caught up," said Bella without thinking. Oh crap, she thought.

Rosalie gave her a funny look. "You're done? Bella, the physics assignments alone would take anyone hours."

If you look guilty, they'll know something's up. If you look guilty, they'll know something's up, Bella thought to herself over and over as she tried to think of a way out of this one.

She shrugged. "I've seen all of it before," she said, hoping her voice contained nothing more than nonchalance. "And, I don't know if you've noticed," she added with a wide grin, "I'm pretty brilliant."

"Awesome!" Exclaimed Emmett as he started to drag her to the TV.

"Actually, Bella," Esme started. "How would you like to help me pick out the colors for this new house I'm working on?"

"Really?" Asked Bella, digging her heels to turn around, much to Emmett's disappointment.

"Really," said Esme, smiling at Bella's obvious enthusiasm.

Bella hoped the little jig her body couldn't help but do went unnoticed by the others. It didn't. With a laugh, Esme pulled the excited girl up to her office.

* * *

Emmett whined that his mom was stealing his BFF, but Rosalie wasn't listening.

She was staring long and hard at the table where the three of them were doing their homework. Her perfect memory was recounting the day, picking up on things she hadn't the first time. School was easy for Bella. Too easy. The advanced classes she shared with her weren't easy even for the vampires. Well, no, they were pretty easy. But that was only because they'd repeated the same material year after year after year. Rosalie had come across some exceptionally smart humans over the decades who excelled at everything, but even they had to spend a few minutes working through a complex differential equation. During class today, Bella barely paused to think, and she _never_ made a mistake.

What was _more_ disturbing was that Bella periodically slowed down, and Rosalie could see that it was a conscious effort on her part...as if Bella knew what she was doing was unnatural and was trying to hide it...

Rosalie shook her head. She had to make herself stop wondering if Bella was human. She was, absolutely 100% human. And Carlisle sensed nothing amiss. His medical experience combined with his superior senses allow him to sense abnormalities in the human body. If there was something off he would have said so by now.

Still, Rosalie decided to keep a close eye on Bella. She'd need Alice's and Jasper's help, and even Emmett's if she could get him to keep his mouth shut. Alice appeared in front of the stairs and nodded to Rosalie, who realized that she must have seen her decision. One down, Rosalie thought.

* * *

Bella was quietly perusing a thick book of fabric samples when Esme cleared her throat to get her attention.

"Sweetheart," Esme began. "Alice told me about your...home. I'm a bit concerned."

That was the understatement of the century, Esme thought. Bella's presence in the house was the only thing that kept her from screaming bloody murder. Alice had come to her while Bella was with Rosalie and Emmett, and explained Bella's situation. Esme was fuming, and Carlisle had to remind her that Bella probably wouldn't appreciate it if she killed her only living relative that night. How could a parent treat their only child with such callousness? And Bella of all people! The girl was warm and considerate, bright and so kind. Just the fact that she didn't shy away from a large group of vampires like the Cullens made her special. That night in the supermarket...the pull the girl seemed to have on Esme had shocked her. The way Bella looked at her that night...Esme didn't know how Bella was able to look at her with such depth and love without knowing her, but she did, and Esme had felt herself immediately drawn to the girl. When she found out later that Bella and Edward's singer were one and the same, Esme felt a powerful sense of protectiveness for her. She could not, would not allow her to come to harm. She felt a little guilty with her behavior towards Edward since she'd met Bella. She did sympathize with the pain their proximity to her was bringing him. But Bella was a drug they all needed. Sometimes...sometimes, it felt like Bella made them forget they were less than human. And so she slowly but surely fell in love with her, as did the rest of her family aside from Edward. Now, the thought of anyone causing Bella in pain, especially someone who was supposed to care for her and protect her, made her see red.

Bella froze holding the heavy book. Esme sighed and took the book from her, then sat her down on the desk chair.

"Bella," Esme said, gently. "I just want to make sure you're ok. If that man is hurting you, if he's hurting you in any way I swear I'll make-"

"He's not!" Bella blurted out. "It's not like that, I swear. He hasn't laid a finger on me."

"Then...if I may ask, what's going on?" Esme asked.

Bella didn't say anything for a minute. She looked down, at the desk, in every direction but Esme's.

"Please," she begged. "Can't it be enough that he's not hurting me? I'm ok with where I'm staying. It's nice to have some privacy. I have everything I need there. Please, please can you let this go?"

She could see that it was no use trying tonight. Bella wasn't ready to talk about what was clearly a loaded subject.

"Bella, can I have your word that you'll come to me if he does anything, _anything_ to hurt you? I'll let it go, but can you promise me that?" Esme asked.

"I promise," said Bella.

"All right," Esme said. This was not the end of that, she knew. But eventually, Bella would talk.

* * *

Bella and Esme got so carried away in her office that it was past midnight before either of them noticed the time. Esme then insisted Bella stay the night, and she was so exhausted she didn't give much of a protest. She stayed in Alice's room. Alice was, of course, ecstatic ("I get to dress you in the morning!").

The next morning, Bella was pulled reluctantly out of a restful sleep by a much too hyper Alice, who couldn't wait to see Bella in the clothes she'd picked out for her. Too tired to argue or notice anything beyond her hooded eyelids, Bella complied without a word. The Cullens were early risers so it would seem. They had all eaten breakfast already, but Esme saved her a place at the table and Bella enjoyed a sumptuous meal.

Emmett loaded her bike into his Jeep and after Esme gave everyone, including an embarrassed Bella, a bagged lunch and waved them away, they all headed out.

Before Bella got into the car though, she thought of something she wanted to do and turned around before she could change her mind.

"Forgot something!" She explained to her friends. "Be right back."

She walked back through the front door of the house and looked around till she found Esme cleaning up in the kitchen.

Without a word, Bella reached the woman and hugged her tightly. Surprised, Esme stood still at first, then gingerly hugged her back. After a minute, Bella pulled back and gave her a soft kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you," Bella said softly, and before Esme could respond, she was out the door.


	18. Routine

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. Please review if you can. Reviews make me happy. You want me to be happy, don't you?**

* * *

Throughout the remainder of that day, Bella repeatedly thanked her lucky stars that she shared most of her classes with at least one of the Cullens. It would seem that her little outburst in defense of her friends yesterday had earned her a place on the school's blacklist. Lauren, and by extension the group of kids at yesterday's lunch table, was among the most popular in school. She was also not someone who took a rebuking lying down, and was now determined to make Bella's high school stay in Forks as miserable as possible.

Bella wasn't enormously concerned with this. It would've been nice to be someone with lots of friends and who exchanged smiles and friendly chit-chat on a daily basis...but it's not like Bella knew what she'd be missing. Besides, if she had to be perfectly honest with herself, she knew it was better this way. More friends and chatter would mean more questions that she couldn't answer. It would mean more opportunities for Bella to lose control and hurt someone. Her dance with the Cullens was difficult enough.

In any case she didn't have to worry about anything while in the company of her friends. Emmett, Jasper and Rosalie could summon pretty intense glares against anyone who dared look at Bella the wrong way. Alice's glares achieved the intended effect on her targets, but they also made Bella crack up in hysteria-which made Alice huff in annoyance every time.

"Really, Bella," she said after Bella snickered for the third time. "They won't take me seriously if you don't too. How am I supposed to strike fear in the hearts of our enemies?"

Bella rolled her eyes as they walked together through the hall, though she turned serious again soon enough.

"Alice, they're not 'our' enemies." Bella thought back to what Lauren had said yesterday-she didn't have anything negative to say about Alice then. "You don't have to make yourself a target for my sake. It's not worth it."

"Yes, you are," said Alice, in a manner that suggested the case was closed.

Bella sighed. She'd drop it for now, but the thought of Alice's life-or any of the Cullens' lives-becoming more difficult because of their intolerance of Bella's bullying...well, _that _was intolerable.

As far as Bella could see, she had to concentrate on two-well, three things to get herself through each day in school. She needed to be a stellar student so when it came time for college applications she'd have a chance, but she also needed to be extremely careful not to outperform Einstein or do something that would draw suspicion. Finally, she needed to avoid situations like the one in which she found herself yesterday, when she almost blew up the building. And Bella thought she had a pretty good idea on how to do that.

Luckily, Bella had study hall and lunch (the two times in the day she was Cullen-less) back-to-back, otherwise her plan wouldn't work as well as she believed it would. When the bell rang for 4th period study hall, Bella quickly veered up a rarely used staircase. When she reached her destination, a set of heavy doors locked in place, Bella furtively cast a glance around her. Finding the area deserted, she looked down at the lock. Seconds later, she heard the click of the lock coming undone. With a smile, Bella opened the door that led to the school's rooftop and closed it behind her. Problem solved, she thought.

* * *

Emmett and Rosalie were worried. It was 15 minutes into lunch period and there was no sign of Bella. They glared darkly in the direction of Lauren's table every few seconds, both wondering if the vengeful girl had done something to their friend. Of course, they knew she hadn't. They could hear Lauren and her friend, Jessica, talking about Bella and wondering where she was. They had a few new jibes they wanted to throw at her. Emmett and Rosalie growled loud enough to almost attract their neighbors' attention.

"Cool it you two!" said Jasper, who was feeling the extra tension around him. "I'm sure she's Ok. She's probably in the library."

"That's a good idea!" Emmett jumped. "I'll go check."

He was about to leave the table when something Lauren was saying to Jessica caught his attention.

"Get this, I heard from Mrs. Donaldson who heard it from her husband, who's good friends with Chief Swan that he didn't even want her to come. Even her own father can't stand her!"

"Well I heard that the Chief tried to find any other relatives who'd take her," Jessica said. "But they all think she's cursed or something and refused."

"What do you mean she's cursed?! How?" Lauren asked her eagerly.

"Well, her mom died in this really big explosion," Jessica said. "Bella was supposedly not even there, but some reports say there was a little girl who was found on the scene...the only survivor! And then she disappeared without a trace! Poof!"

"Oh my god!" exclaimed Lauren. "You think that was her? That she had something to do with it?"

"Who knows?" Jessica said, mysteriously. "But why didn't she live with her dad all this time? My mom remembers her mom. She told me they were all really happy together before they moved to Phoenix. What could've happened that would make the Chief hate his own daughter, enough to send her away across the country?"

"If that's where she really was..." Lauren let that hang.

This time, all four Cullens had to stifle their snarls.

"Alice, will Carlisle and Esme really mind if we shred these hags to pieces?" Rosalie asked.

Alice paused and looked off into the distance. "Yes," she said, disappointed.

"Damn it," Rosalie said.

* * *

Bella snuck back into the building a few minute before the bell signaled the end of lunch. When she made it to calculus before anyone else, she took a moment to congratulate herself on a brilliant execution of a rather brilliant plan. Now, she thought, all she needed to do was repeat that performance every school day for the next 26 months.

She was pulled out of her musing when Rosalie and Emmett slid into their seats beside her.

"Where were you?" Rosalie hissed, startling Bella.

"What? Oh, hi..." Bella replied cautiously. Shit, does Rosalie hate her again? Rosalie kept glaring at her, and Bella felt her heart drop in disappointment.

"We were worried, Bella Bear," said Emmett. He gave Rosalie a pointed look and she softened her features slightly as she met Bella's eyes.

"We thought Jessica and Lauren might have done something to you," Rosalie explained softly. "We couldn't find you in the cafeteria."

Bella sighed in relief, then snorted at what Rosalie and Emmett were implying. As if Lauren and Jessica could honestly stand a chance against her. Of course, without using her powers Bella _was_ at their mercy...there were far worse punishments than sticks and stones after all, as any bullying victim could attest to. But her seven years on her own had taught her how to put a barrier between herself and the rest of the world. She had gone months at a time without uttering a word to another soul. And sticks, stones, or unkind words...Bella doubted there was anything in the world more painful than the pain she experienced on a regular basis.

"I'm serious!" Rosalie hissed again, incredulous at how lightly Bella was taking her own safety.

"Relax," said Bella gently. "I'll show you where I was. After school," she muttered as the rest of the students started to trickle in.

Throughout the rest of the afternoon, Bella spent her time implementing the other parts of her plan to 'get through high school and not kill anyone'. By the middle of AP Lit, she had even devised a fun way to get through reading books at a normal reading speed. After she was done with a page, she'd force herself to stop and then lightly tap out the lyrics of a song or two...in morse code. After a couple of minutes, she'd read another page and do the same thing again. She thought it worked pretty well as it kept her turning pages at the same rate as the other students.

She failed to notice the queer looks Jasper kept giving her.

* * *

"Bells, you're a strange one," was all Emmett would say.

Bella had kept her word and after they'd gathered their things from their respective lockers, she had taken Rosalie and Emmett to her new hideout. It _was _a little strange, but Bella was more accustomed to the view from higher up than from the ground. Rooftops were among her favorite places to haunt before, mainly because of their convenience and accessibility day or night. Trees were good too, but roofs tended to be more stable...especially when she slept. Not that falling from a great height could ever hurt her...

"So this is your plan? You're going to hide up here everyday?" Rosalie asked. She too was giving Bella a strange look.

"You make it sound so dreadful," Bella complained. "It's wonderful up here! Fresh air, cool breeze, birds-"

"And bees," said Emmett with a chuckle. "What?" He added when Rosalie punched him in the arm.

"And when it rains?" Rosalie asked.

Bella just pointed to her jacket. "Hoodie," she added for good measure.

Rosalie shook her head. Bella refrained from bringing up what she desperately wanted to ask...just _why_ she couldn't have lunch with them. Bella didn't want to appear clingy, which was why she hadn't and wouldn't bring it up...but the question exasperated her nonetheless. It would be one thing if she thought the Cullens _didn't _want her to sit with them, but she believed the opposite was true. She had seen the wishful looks on Emmett's and Alice's faces yesterday at lunch. They wanted her to sit with them. No, there was something else going on here, but Bella thought it best to keep quiet for now.

Bella walked the length of the roof as she mulled, and turned to walk around the edge on the way back like she was accustomed to doing when in deep thought (and when she happened to be standing on a rooftop), when Rosalie suddenly pulled her back.

"Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Rosalie asked hysterically.

"Huh?" Bella asked, confused. "Oh, Jeez no. Relax, Rosalie. I'm good with heights. See?"

Bella proved her point by doing a perfect back flip, landing two inches from the edge of the roof.

"Super Bella!" Emmett exclaimed, laughing, and mimicked her move. Soon the two of them were doing parkour tricks all over the school roof, laughing and outdoing each other with every move...while Rosalie watched with a mixture of awe, shock, and confusion.

* * *

The next few weeks followed the routine that Bella had established on her first days of school. She'd either bike or catch a ride to school with the Cullens. She'd spent the day trying to perfect the line between being super smart and super scary smart. Because of her speed, she was pretty much always able to finish her homework in class before the last bell rang, which was a good thing because her evenings were usually spent in the company of the Cullens. Much to her happy surprise, she no longer had to spend lunch in isolation either. One or more of her friends always finished lunch early and would come up to join her. They'd talk, read, or in Emmett's case, perform dangerous parkour moves until the bell rang and they reluctantly had to rejoin civilization.

After school, Bella would bike home and make herself something simple to eat. She respected Charlie's ground rules and, save for when he signed her library card application, Bella hadn't gone to see him, nor he her. He kept his word too-he never demanded or asked anything of her, and every Sunday morning like clockwork he'd slide an envelope full of money under her door. Seeing his police cruiser outside was the only sign that he even lived in that house.

Sometimes she went to the library as it was still a familiar and comforting place for her, and now that she had her first library card she could and did take books home by the bucketload (figuratively speaking of course, though she did install two baskets on her bike for the express purpose of hauling all her books). At that point in the day, after the Cullens had had their dinner, Emmett or Alice would pick her up to come over. She didn't have a cell phone, but somehow they always seemed to know where she was. She shrugged when she thought of that-it was a pretty small town...there were only so many places one could be.

At their house, Bella would relax in her pursuits of a myriad of different activities with her friends. Between video games, reading, chess and other board games, and of course working with Esme on whatever project she had going on, Bella seemed to have her little niche in the world. She was even starting to develop a small appreciation for fashion (a _very_ small appreciation) and would occasionally acquiesce and let Alice lend her something to wear. She even found something she could do with Rosalie. When Bella got her first good look around the garage, she was was stunned into silence...not just because of the gleaming cars but at the, well for lack of a better word, 'high-techiness' of the equipment lying around. She was more surprised to learn that taking care of these cars was Rosalie's passion. She remembered the first time she saw Rosalie in that garage, wearing a workman's jumpsuit and still managing to look sexy. That was the first time Bella could say she thought Rosalie looked truly happy, and Bella couldn't begin to describe the feeling that Rosalie's blissful glow elicited in her. The next day, Bella went to the library and read every book on auto care she could find, and from that point on she made a point of hanging out with Rosalie from time to time in the garage and acting as her assistant.

There were a few times when the routine changed, and that was when the Cullens went on their extended camping trips. On those days, Bella had to endure a far bigger share of dirty looks, verbal taunts, and occasional shoves from her classmates. But it was rarely too much for her to handle. Bella had found her happy place. Whenever the abuse was close to reaching her breaking point, she would simply think of Esme's hugs or Carlisle's calm voice. She'd think of Jasper's kind eyes, Alice's musical laugh, Emmet's cheerful grin, and Rosalie's...well, Rosalie's everything...and it would be enough to calm her down. Bella had never felt so happy and secure in her life.

Which was why she was feeling both excited and apprehensive at the moment. She didn't want the happy routine to change, but surely with a family like the Cullens, things could only get better...right?

The fifth sibling, Edward Cullen, was returning home tomorrow.

* * *

**Author's Note: Dun dun dun.**


	19. Edward

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, yada yada yada. I'm absolutely addicted to your reviews. Thank you!**

* * *

When Bella heard the news that Edward was on his way home, she was at first cautiously optimistic. With kids like Jasper, Emmett, Alice, and Rosalie, and with parents like Carlisle and Esme...Edward was most likely a great guy in his own right. Except as the days wore on and his arrival date creeped closer, Bella's optimism turned to worry, and then panic. The rest of the Cullens were...acting really strangely. She couldn't understand the dark looks that would cross over Rosalie's or Emmett's faces when Edward's name came up. And she definitely couldn't understand the apprehensive looks all of them kept giving _her _as his arrival loomed closer. What was going on?

She knew very little about the boy except for the nuggets of information she had gleaned over the weeks. Edward generally kept to himself, but was very thoughtful and could read people very well. He had been with cousins in Alaska since spring break-had left for Denali right before Bella arrived in Forks in fact. That was all she knew. Oh, and he was very protective of his piano, she thought as she rolled her eyes.

A couple of weeks ago, she was having the time of her life exploring the Cullens' library with Carlisle and Jasper, admiring Carlisle's old paintings and itching to get her hands on some of those extremely rare books that Carlisle had collected. Carlisle was a generous host and, knowing Bella would appreciate it far more than most, granted her complete access to his collection. Much to his and Jasper's delight (and Emmett's and Alice's annoyance) Bella took him up on his offer and started to work her way through the extensive collection.

One day, after taking a necessary bathroom back, she walked past the open door of their music room. Her breath had caught in her chest as she looked longingly at the beautiful piano in the middle of the room. Playing the piano was one of the few luxuries Bella allowed herself during her long exile. Most libraries she visited had one somewhere, and aside from reading she'd often play. She had taken lessons as a child, but after her photographic memory took hold she threw herself into mastering the piano with fervor. In the beginning, when her emotions were much more volatile and she tended to have more accidents, concentrating on playing the notes was the only thing that could calm the tempest inside her. As she got older and learned to control the beast, she'd often use the gentle music she had stored in her mind to pass the time on the many lonely days and nights. She didn't even need a piano anymore-all she had to do was close her eyes and she could perfectly visualize the keys in front of her and the exact pitch and harmony of each measure.

But when she saw the piano in the Cullens' house, it had been nearly four months since she'd actually played, and Bella was suddenly overcome with the urge to do so. She was just about to sit down when Alice appeared beside her and hurriedly explained that Edward forbade anyone from touching the piano, and that it really wasn't a good idea to do so even in his absence...basically forbidding her from entering the room. Bella had no way of knowing that it was her scent Alice was concerned about-that for Edward's sake they didn't want her scent overwhelming the one room in the house that contained Edward's passion. Not knowing any of this, Bella was rather irked. Their high school didn't have music classes, and the local library was a little too small to be able to afford such a luxury. So, Bella gave Edward's piano one final, sad look and left the room.

She thought of that memory, and of all the small things she knew about Edward as Rosalie's car zoomed down the highway from her house to theirs. It was Saturday morning, and Rosalie had picked her up as she sometimes did to hang out with their family for the day. She and Emmett were taking her to Port Angeles, but first they'd make a stop at their house to pick Emmett up and gather a few things...and there, Bella would say hello to Edward.

As they got closer to the house, Bella's nervousness increased. She knew she technically had nothing to fear, but Rosalie's obvious unease was infectious. From what she'd observed the last few weeks, Rosalie only ever acted like this when she was worried for Bella's safety. No matter how many times Bella would prove her superb sense of balance and fitness on the school rooftops, Rosalie would still flip out. She smiled a little when she thought of how protective Rosalie was over her. It didn't irritate Bella at all...not yet anyway. She found it a little endearing actually. If Rosalie only knew, she mused...

Before she knew it, they had arrived.

Rosalie parked the car in front of the house, and before Bella could get her seat belt off she was at Bella's side, opening her door for her. Bella didn't comment-she had gotten used to little things like that that Rosalie often did for Bella, and Bella reciprocated when she could. She still didn't understand how Rosalie had gone from hating her to enjoying her company, but who was she to complain? Rosalie led her to the front door, and with a slight (an eternity to Bella) pause, opened the door.

* * *

The first thing Bella noticed when she got a good look inside the main living area, was that all the Cullens were somewhere in the vicinity. Alice sat on one of the steps of the staircase. Jasper was reading a book in the armchair by the fireplace. Esme and Carlisle were talking to one another in front of one of the patio doors. And Emmett was sitting right beside the only person she didn't recognize, Edward.

Like the rest of them, he too had the topaz eyes she'd come to associate with the Cullens. He, too, was paler than the average person. He was tall, but nowhere near as tall as Emmett-probably closer to her own height in fact. His most distinguishable feature, other than the unusual eyes, was the crop of messy, styled bronze hair on his head. The other thing Bella noticed about his appearance was how...stiff he was. It reminded her of the way Jasper used to be when she first met him, actually. Unlike Jasper though, the expression on his face was completely passive...as if everything he looked at was incorporeal and he could see perfectly what was on the other side. Hmm, Lauren had a point there, she thought.

"Bella," Carlisle said. "I'm glad you could be here today. This is our son, Edward."

Bella turned her attention back to the boy, and put on her most polite and friendly face. "Hi, Edward. It's nice to finally meet you."

Should she shake his hand? Sit down and talk for a few minutes? She was completely at a loss. She took a step forward, then stopped. Rosalie had almost mirrored her move exactly beside her. She hesitated and looked up. Was it her imagination, or did the entire family just tense up and move forward slightly? She paused and looked around again. No, she wasn't imagining things. In fact, now that she was thinking about it...the Cullens' positions around the room didn't look accidental. She had to be crazy to think like this...but it looked like...it looked like they had Edward surrounded from every angle, with the strongest member of the household right beside him like a handler. And Rosalie...Rosalie was her bodyguard.

Alright, calm down you crazy person, she told herself. You are literally being insane. Bella was the most dangerous person in this room, not Edward. She took a deep breath and called every method she knew that would calm her down.

"Did you have a good time in Denali, Edward?" She asked, hoping to sound casual.

"Yes, thank you," he finally spoke. His voice was soft, but there was a bite to it. "I rarely get to see our cousins. And I missed the last trip the family took, so I enjoyed the extra time there."

"Oh, that's good," she said.

"How are you enjoying Forks? It's not a usual traveler's destination," he said.

"I love it," she said, smiling, "mostly thanks to your family here."

"That's good," he said.

Now what? As if reading her thoughts, Rosalie touched her arm and led her to the stairs.

"Come on, Bella," she said. "Alice needs your help with something before we go."

And with that, Bella waved to everyone and went up the stairs with Rosalie and Alice-one in front of her, one behind her, she noted.

* * *

"Well done, Edward!" Esme exclaimed quietly so only the other vampires could hear.

"You did wonderfully, son," Carlisle smiled at his eldest.

Edward, however was not smiling. He was looking intensely at the top of the stairs.

"What is it?" Jasper asked his brother.

"I can't...read her," Edward said through gritted teeth.

"What?" Carlisle exclaimed.

"I can't read her," repeated Edward. "There's nothing. I'm not getting anything from her mind."

They were all quiet as they took this in. Upstairs, Alice and Rosalie too quieted down.

"No this is not 'awesome!'' Edward suddenly turned to Emmett. "How are we supposed to know when she starts to suspect? And what exactly is she anyway?! No human has ever blocked me!"

"Edward, calm yourself," said Carlisle. "Bella is human. Her scent is obvious. And I can tell from experience, as well."

"And we have Jasper and Alice," Esme added. "They'll be able to tell if something goes wrong."

"Alice's gift doesn't work on her!" Edward yelled, and added, noting Carlisle and Esme's shocked faces, "or didn't she tell you about that?"

"It does work," Jasper said, hearing his wife's growl from upstairs. "She has to concentrate harder than usual, yes. But Alice can see Bella."

"How interesting..." Carlisle contemplated out loud. "To have such a powerful gift as a human..."

"Way to go, Bella Bear," Emmett whispered, much to Edward's annoyance.

* * *

Alice and Rosalie looked at each other and both wondered the same thing. Why on earth had it not occurred to them that Bella's blocking was a gift? It made perfect sense as soon as Carlisle said it. Still though...humans don't usually exhibit such powerful abnormalities. Edward certainly couldn't read minds before he was turned. And Jasper could only guess at others' emotions. Alice of course had no idea if she demonstrated any potential as a human, since she had no memory of her human life.

"Ok, Alice," Bella stepped out of the closet. "This is the last one. If you don't like it I'm sticking to my jeans."

Alice smiled. Little by little, she was training Bella to be a little more mindful of what she put on her body. The girl was gorgeous...when she wore something other than the old jeans and incessant t-shirts she liked so much. She cast a quick glance at Rosalie and could see that she liked the gradual changes in Bella as well. Her sister liked a lot of things about Bella, she noted slyly, then quickly covered up her thoughts with practiced non-essentials. Damn. She'd gotten used to a house without a telepath.

"Perfect!" Alice cried, and pretended not to see Bella rolling her eyes.

"Not quite," said Rosalie.

"Oh, come on!" Bella cried out. "That was 6 outfits she made me try!"

"Oh, hush," said Rosalie, as she walked out of the room. "I'll be right back."

Moments later, she returned with her fist closed tightly around an object. She led Bella to Alice's mirror and stood behind her. Then she carefully wrapped a necklace around Bella's neck and clasped it shut. Alice's perfect eyesight saw it clearly from where she stood. It didn't look all that extravagant-the chain was simple enough, light and delicate. The adornment was a long, thin rectangle...or rather several rectangles on top of one another with a thin gap of metal between each shape. It was a simple design, but it's execution was brilliant, literally. It shone with a brightness that rivaled the sparkling of their sun-washed skin. The chain too, had the same white ethereal quality as the adornment. On Bella, it reached to a hair's width of the top of her cleavage.

"Uh, isn't this a little much?" Poor Bella looked like she wanted to crawl into a hole. "I mean its beautiful! But, really it's too much, Rosalie."

"No it's not," said Rosalie with a slight smile. "Come on, you let Alice dress you and I can't give you an old necklace?"

Bella sighed and touched the foreign object on her skin. "Thank you," she said quietly into the mirror.

Alice gave her sister a knowing look but Rosalie ignored her. What Rosalie had just done was no mere act of charitable kindness. That necklace was the only piece of jewelry Rosalie was wearing the night she was...turned. For years Rosalie avoided even looking it. Then she'd wear it religiously for a while. Then she'd avoid it again. On and on. That she would part with her only physical link to her humanity...and without, it seemed, a moment's hesitation...just for Bella...

Alice didn't need any gifts to know what was coming.


	20. Music

**Disclaimer: As usual, I do not own Twilight.  
**

**Author's note: This is a few hours late, but it's the longest chapter yet. Seriously I pulled an all-nighter for this-it's 5:30 in the morning and I have to leave for work in two hours. Hopefully you'll reward me with LOTS of reviews! **

**Authors note II: If you're the type who likes a soundtrack, I suggest you listen to a piece called "Spiegel im Spiegel" for violin and piano...especially during the second half of this chapter. Go. Youtube it now!**

* * *

Bella leaned her forehead against the cool glass of the car window. She was glad to put some distance between herself and Edward. The entire exchange was perfectly normal...and completely bizarre. Most of her concern was about the rest of the Cullens though, not Edward himself. She could sit here and try to convince herself otherwise that what she'd seen was just her imagination, but Bella's perfect memory and recall meant she couldn't lie even to herself. There was...something...off. And it involved the whole family.

She looked at the occupants of the front seats, Rosalie and Emmett. Rosalie was flying at unthinkable speeds as usual, and Emmett was visibly relaxed beside her, their hands meeting in the middle. Bella smiled at that. She had grown accustomed to the affection that was rampant in the Cullen's household, and was working on becoming more comfortable with it herself. Oh, there were the now frequent hugs and motherly pecks on the cheek she shared with Esme, and the occasional rough housing with Emmett. But whenever she held Alice's hand or leaned into Jasper's half-hugs, she had to consciously tell herself she wouldn't kill them by doing so.

"So what did you think of Edward, Bella Bear?" Emmett asked, interrupting her thoughts.

"Uhh," she really didn't know where to begin.

He chuckled. "Yeah, I know what you mean."

"Is he always so..." Bella searched for the words.

"Brooding? Meditative? Moody?" He laughed.

"I was going to say thoughtful," she tisked at him. "So...is he?"

"Yup!" Emmett grinned.

"Edward is more complicated than that," said Rosalie. "He's better than most at reading people, so he thinks that makes him understand them...and as a result, he's very quick to judge. People are much more than what's on the surface though...something he doesn't seem to get into his thick skull."

Bella raised an eyebrow at that. It was disconcerting to hear such hostility directed at a Cullen from another Cullen. She couldn't help then but feel a little bad for Edward. It appeared he was the black sheep of this family. Slightly creepy or not, she resolved to try to befriend the boy. He was a Cullen after all-if Esme and Carlisle were the ones who raised him, how bad could he be?

"Music preference, Bella?" Rosalie asked, her hand on the radio dial.

"Um, classical please," she responded.

Rosalie tuned into an appropriate station, and Bella relaxed back into her seat. She knew the piece being played of course. It was Franz Liszt's Liebestraum no. 3, and it was one Bella had played many times. She smiled and closed her eyes, listening.

* * *

Rosalie was having a difficult time keeping her eyes on the road, not that she needed to of course. She was torn between looking back at Bella's peaceful figure in the rear-view mirror and resisting doing just that while Emmett chuckled beside her.

"Are you trying to torture me?" Rosalie whispered, too low and fast for Bella to hear.

"No," his tone was suddenly sincere. "You've figured it out, haven't you?"

Rosalie was silent. She honestly didn't know how to respond.

"Rosalie, I love you," he said passionately. "Now open your eyes and quit acting like Edward. You gave her your necklace for god's sake. _That _necklace!"

"How is this not bothering you?" She asked, quietly.

Emmett sighed. "Rose, do you love me?"

"Yes," she said without hesitation.

"Do you love me as much as you did 70 years ago?" He asked again.

"I love you more," Rosalie said with all honesty.

"That's why this isn't bothering me," said Emmett. "I'm a little nervous about the logistics mind you," he said with a chuckle, "but I'm not scared of sharing you with her. I-I know this is strange, but I want Bella to be happy too. She's my best friend, Rose, and I want her to be happy. I want you make her happy. She deserves it. You both do."

Rosalie looked at her husband. She wasn't lying before when she said she loved him far more than she did when they first married. Rosalie was broken then, and with his indomitable spirit he had somehow found a way to put her back together. She glanced back at Bella, still concentrating on the music, and thought of the changes the girl had sparked in her since her arrival. Whereas Emmett had pulled her back together, it felt like Bella, in the short weeks she'd been here, had enveloped Rosalie in a protective coating that nothing, not even her bitterness over the lost life she could have led, could penetrate. Like Emmett, Bella had believed in the best of her. Even when facing the worst Rosalie could throw at her, she had still believed.

"I love you," she told him, knowing that those three words were no match for the intensity of her feelings for him.

Emmett smiled softly and squeezed her hand.

* * *

Bella felt like a kid in a candy store as she walked from aisle to aisle in the rare bookstore that was their first destination in Port Angeles. It couldn't hold a candle to Carlisle's collection, but she still spied a few oddities here and there that had her salivating a little.

Emmett groaned. "We had to come here first? Now we'll never leave!"

Rosalie laughed. "Bells, you get 45 minutes, Ok? Or Emmett will melt from boredom."

"Uh, huh," Bella said, completely distracted. A person who grew up surrounded by books never got over their love for them, and Bella had spent _way _more time with books than anyone even twice her age probably did. At first she did it to test her new-found photographic memory. Then, when it was clear her mind had no limitations, she did it so she'd get some semblance of an education. After she'd passed the doctorate level though, she did it because it was the only way to surround herself with people while still maintaining the necessary distance so as not to hurt them. She could sit in the quietest corner of a library, reading, while still listening to the soft murmurs and movements of other people around her, and pretend that everything was normal...that she was there to study for an exam and that her parents would soon be there to pick her up.

They finally left the store an hour and a half later, much to Emmett's frustration.

"I pick where we go next!" He insisted.

Bella stuck out her tongue in his direction, and he reciprocated with a light shove. Rosalie just shook her head.

Emmett's choice turned out to be an indoor ice skating rink. Bella laughed trying to imagine the huge boy gliding on the ice.

"Have you ever skated, Bella?" Rosalie asked her.

Bella shook her head.

"Hmm, well stick close to me till you get the hang of it," she said.

No problem, Bella thought, and blushed.

"Let's see...there they are," Rosalie said, pulling out some jackets from the trunk of the car and handing one to Bella.

"What else do you have back there?" Bella asked, trying to peek as she pocketed the pair of gloves Rosalie gave her.

"You'll see..." Rosalie said mysteriously. "Come on. Emmet's already pouting."

They both laughed and walked into the arena. As Emmett paid their entrance fee and got their skates, Bella studied the people already out on the ice, trying to understand and memorize the basic moves. When Emmett came back with their skates, she struggled to put them on and wobbled along with them to the ice. She took a couple of unsteady steps and was about to fall but Rosalie caught her at the last second.

"Please be careful," said Rosalie as she supported Bella's back.

"Sorry," said Bella, blushing again. Stop that, she thought to herself.

Rosalie held her hand and they glided a few laps around the rink while Emmett raced past them over and over again, showing off some rather graceful and fancy moves, Bella was surprised to note. Bella continued to analyze the more accomplished skaters around her, and slowly applied what she learned.

"I think I got it, Rosalie," Bella said excitedly and let go of her hand. A little faster now, she continued on her own around the rink, building up speed and confidence. This is fun, she thought to herself with pleasure.

"Woohoo!" She exclaimed as her feet finally fell into step with her brain. She zoomed around the rink, catching up to Emmett and overtaking him with Rosalie following behind. She changed her footing a little and managed a small leap. She changed it again and succeeded with a tight turn that had her spinning till she was laughing uncontrollably. Bella cried out again in delight. She continued experimenting with different axels and jumps that she remembered seeing on TV as a child, not noticing that both Rosalie and Emmett had stopped skating and were watching her together with huge smiles on their faces.

"Nice choice, Emmett," Rosalie said to her husband, unable to take her eyes off the twirling girl.

"I think she'd put Alice to shame," he said in admiration of the complex double jump Bella had just pulled off.

Rosalie nodded in silence.

"I still think you'll win," he said, referring to Rosalie's plan for their evening. "Speaking of which, I won't be joining you there."

"What?" She asked, finally distracted enough to tear her eyes from Bella. "Why not?"

"Because," he said, "you need to spend some time with her on your own...and love, what you got planned really isn't my thing." He crinkled his nose as he smiled warmly at her.

"Don't worry," Emmett said as he put one arm around her shoulder. "She'll love it."

* * *

Bella looked up in confusion when they pulled up to a posh looking inn.

"Uh...what are we doing here?" She asked.

"We need to change our clothes," Rosalie said. "Jeans aren't acceptable where we're going."

"And where exactly is that?" Bella asked, a little apprehensive now.

"You'll see," Rosalie smiled, as the bellhop carried the bags from the trunk to the lobby.

"Have fun, girls!" Emmett blew them kiss. "Call me when you're ready!"

"Emmett's going to a basketball game," Rosalie said to Bella, who was staring after the departing car with even more confusion. "If you think he was bad in the bookstore, believe me you wouldn't want to see him at our next destination."

That didn't help ease Bella's nerves. But she trusted Rosalie, so she let the blonde lead her inside.

"Reservation for Hale," Rosalie said briskly to the man behind the counter.

"Yes, here it is. Would you prefer a double occupancy?" He asked, looking from her to Bella.

"No, that isn't necessary," Rosalie said, causing Bella to blush profusely. What's gotten into you, she scolded herself. Stop this!

Bella's eyes popped at the amount Rosalie signed for, and she had to remind herself that the Cullens were richer than some small countries.

They finally made their way upstairs, Bella trying very hard not to look at the one huge bed in the center of the room. Rosalie opened the garment bags and Bella was unable to stop herself from gasping at the dresses. Holy shit, somebody kill me now, she thought.

"Rosalie," Bella squeaked. "You do know I'm likely to have a panic attack if I have to go outside in one of those, don't you?"

Rosalie turned around and gave her a stern look. "Isabella Swan," she said. "You are more beautiful than a dozen of these dresses. When you wear something like this and people notice you, it won't be because of the dress, believe me. It will be because of you."

She handed Bella her dress. "Now please," she said softly, "Put this on and come back out here so I can do your hair."

Bella gulped but did as she was asked, trying but failing to stop replaying Rosalie's words in her head.

After struggling with the dress a bit in the bathroom-straps were impossible to figure out!-she took a deep breath and came out. Rosalie smiled when she saw her. The dress was a deep blue sheer thing...not exactly revealing but not conservative at all either. It had four straps that weaved over her shoulders and down her exposed back. The front was much simpler-a little too low on her cleavage, Bella thought, but that was all.

Rosalie was ready to go when Bella came out. She wore a black dress that shimmered in the light, Bella noted. It reached to below her knees and Bella was grateful for its elegance...she didn't want to have to concentrate on avoiding...certain areas. Not that it made any difference, she thought dejectedly, as she caught herself staring nonetheless. She quickly turned to the wall and shuffled her feet, never noticing the small knowing smile on Rosalie's face.

Rosalie spent a few minutes on Bella's hair and makeup. She didn't need much, but an occasion did demand a little pomp. She paused as her hand went to her necklace, which was resting right above the valley of Bella's breasts. Bella thought she would die right there as Rosalie's fingers and eyes lingered on it for a few moments.

"It looks good on you," Rosalie said with a smile. Bella smiled weakly.

At last, they exited the room and before Bella knew it, were sitting in a taxi and on their way.

* * *

"No way!" Bella brightened immediately when she saw the big sign on the building.

Rosalie smiled. Yup, I win, she thought. They pulled up and Rosalie laughed when Bella jumped out of the car, barely able to contain herself. She linked arms with her and practically ran inside the Port Angeles Music Hall.

* * *

Bella scarcely blinked that evening. It wasn't a fancy or even well-known ensemble...just the local volunteer symphony orchestra, but it was the first time Bella saw an actual live performance...and she was mesmerized. She drank everything in. The pianist's fingers flying over the keys. The string section's synchronized strokes. The flutes, the oboe, the percussions. The harp. And she listened. She listened to every instrument, her trained ears picking each one out individually. She concentrated so hard she never noticed the tears slowly flowing down her face, or that Rosalie spent the entire time looking at her with a most curious and unreadable expression. She never even comprehended that she was holding Rosalie's hand throughout the whole concert, gripping it tightly every time the music swelled and climaxed.

When it was finally over and Bella gradually became aware of her immediate surroundings, she turned to Rosalie.

"How did you know?" She asked her, her voice unable to project beyond a whisper.

"Alice," Rosalie responded.

They stayed in their seats, not moving or saying anything while the audience and orchestra members steadily filed out.

"You play the piano, right?" Rosalie asked.

Bella nodded.

"Can you stand one more surprise?" She asked her.

Bella raised an eyebrow. "I'm afraid to ask..."

Rosalie just smiled and stood up. "Follow me," she said, as she started walking down from the box where they had been seated.

Bella did till they reached the front of the hall, and she waited while Rosalie went to speak in a hushed voice to man in a dark suit by the main doors. They shook hands, and Rosalie started walking back when suddenly the big main doors, as well as all the other side entrances were shut one by one. They were alone in the big hall.

"It's all yours," Rosalie said, grinning.

"What?" Bella asked, not understanding.

"The piano, silly. It's all yours," Rosalie said, smiling widely at Bella's shocked face. "No one will interrupt us for a while."

Bella swallowed, and looked up at the concert grand which dwarfed anything she'd ever played before. Her eagerness to play won over her trepidation and she slowly walked up onto the stage. She walked around the mammoth thing, her hand lightly touching its glossy enclosure. She did the same thing as she sat down, her hands gliding over every key. She took a deep breath to calm her pounding heart, and started to play.

* * *

This time, it was Rosalie who was hypnotized. Bella played like she was drinking her first gulp of water after a long drought. Her eyes were half closed, her mouth shut tight, but her body opened itself up much like it had on the skating rink today...she moved every muscle along with the music...more intensely with the crescendos, less so with the diminuendos. And when the piece reached its climax, Rosalie's stomach flipped as she watched Bella's body swell with it.

Rosalie could watch her like this forever. Piece after piece, Rosalie sat frozen in her chair as she stared intently at Bella's eyes, her lips, her fingers, her legs...while listening to the music the girl effortlessly summoned.

* * *

When Emmett pulled up hours later, Bella was completely drained. He found them sitting on a bench outside, Bella half asleep with her head on Rosalie's shoulder. He smiled at them and helped Bella into the backseat of the car, where she slept soundly the whole way back.

He glanced at his wife, who was smiling subconsciously with a faraway look on her face.

"She enjoyed herself then?" He whispered, careful not to wake the exhausted girl in the back.

Rosalie nodded, unable to say much at the moment.

A little while later, she turned to him and said, "we need to get another piano."

"She's that good?" He asked, chuckling.

"She's amazing," she said breathlessly. "Edward's an amateur next to her."

"Wow," he said, impressed.

She continued to look off into the distance, clearly too distracted to do much talking right now.

"I'm in love with her, Em," Rosalie's voice was small and pleading. She turned to face him, anguish written on her face. "I've been falling for her from the beginning. I can't stop it."

"Hey there," Emmett tried to comfort his wife. "I know. It's ok. We talked about this. I want you to go ahead."

"This isn't some fling!" She cried out. "It's real. As real as you and me. Can you really live with that? If she feels the same way, can you live with a third person for the rest of her life? Even...for the rest of ours? For eternity?"

Emmet gasped. So she _had_ thought about it. He knew the rest of his family was secretly wondering about Bella...joining them, officially someday. Rosalie's strong opinions over their existence and her old life made him wonder if they would win out over her feelings for the girl. But if she was actually thinking about it, and admitting it out loud to him...then clearly her desire for Bella had won.

"Yes, Rose," he said. "I can live with it. I love you, and I love her too. It won't be easy, but if anyone can figure it out it's the two of us, and if there has to be a third person I'm ecstatic that it's her."

Rosalie closed her eyes and looked away. She knew that if she could cry she'd be sobbing a river right now. What did she do to deserve someone like Emmett? She felt overwhelmed with emotion...love for her husband and for the sleeping girl in the back...guilt for daring to imagine eternity with Bella. Despite all that, she still held onto the image of Bella moving with the music, watching her sway with the rhythm in her mind's eye. She shuddered, and, startling Emmett, leaned and kissed him with as much passion as she could muster.

She let out a ragged breath. "Ok."

"Ok?" Emmett needed to be sure.

She nodded once, and looked him in the eye.

"Ok." He repeated. Ok, he thought to himself. Here we go.

They drove in silence the rest of the way. When they reached her home, Emmett turned off the headlights and stopped a little further away so as not to wake her father.

Rosalie turned to him. "I'll take her inside and meet you at the house."

Emmett nodded, and waited while she roused the exhausted girl.

* * *

Rosalie let Bella's full weight lean on her as she watched her husband drive off. She slowly walked a stumbling Bella to the hellhole she called home. Inside, she gently helped her out of her dress and carried her up to the bed. Barely able to sit up, Bella managed to point Rosalie to her night things, which Rosalie then helped her put on.

Rosalie laid her down and tucked her under the covers. She sat there, watching her drift off, stroking her forehead, her cheeks, her hair, until Rosalie knew she had to leave before she couldn't. She leaned in, breathing her divine scent, and kissed her lightly on the forehead.

"Sleep well," she whispered, and left.

* * *

**Please, please review! If you didn't follow my music recommendation, trust me you're cheating yourself out of a better reading experience. Try it with "****Spiegel im Spiegel" in the background and you'll thank me for it!**  



	21. Fire

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer, please don't sue me.**

**Author's note I: Ok, apparently there's some confusion regarding the relationships in this story. I realize that the problem may be that we all have different definitions of "three way" and "open relationship" and things like that, so I'm going to make it very clear. Rosalie and Emmett have a strong, loving relationship. My plan for this story is for Bella and Rosalie to have a similar strong and loving relationship...at the same time. Bella and Emmett will never be more than best friends. As Bella's relationship with Rosalie becomes physical, there will never be any physical relations between Bella and Emmett. I understand that this is unconventional of course. I'll repeat what I said to several of you in replies to your reviews: My Rosalie and Emmett have built a very strong marriage. It would be incredibly wrong for this Rosalie to end her relationship with Emmett just because she develops feelings for someone else. Rosalie and Emmett love each other far more deeply than we ever saw in the books. It is my strong belief that it is possible to love more than one person just as strongly. It is possible, though rare, for a vampire to have more than one mate. Loving someone else doesn't diminish or "cheapen" the first relationship. Emmett can see that Rosalie has fallen for Bella, and to deny her that would cause her great pain...something that in theory, a vampire cannot do to his mate. I suppose it would be really easy to find a way to take Emmett out of the picture but I'm not going to do that. The writing may very well evolve to that point though-I'm not saying I wouldn't do it if it made sense for the story. But I'm going to try very hard not to do that. I want and believe this odd relationship can work. If it truly bothers you then you can stop reading right now. That's your prerogative...but this is my story :P**

**Author's note II: I believe you've all been waiting for this chapter :)**

* * *

Bella slowly opened her eyes the next morning, but refrained from leaving her bed. Everything was going to be all right, she told herself. The stirring within her was not a bad sign. She was not seconds away from a meltdown. She was not struggling to keep her emotions in check. And she was definitely not falling for Rosalie. But it was not all right. The coils within her were tightening painfully, and she had to count backwards from a 1000 to maintain a semblance of control. Because Bella's emotions at that moment were in upheaval. And it was all because of Rosalie.

Bella wasn't so foolish as to think she'd been in love with Rosalie from the moment she saw her. But the girl _had_ intrigued her that night they first met at the grocery store, enough for Bella to feel a twinge of disappointment when she found out she was taken the next day. It was a very small twinge though, and it was quickly covered up with confusion at the girl's hostile behavior towards her, then with relief and cautious optimism when Rosalie suddenly didn't act like she wanted to skin her alive. Her relationships with all of the Cullens, save for Edward of course, had blossomed over the weeks. But lately, something had changed when it came to Rosalie. Bella found herself starting to respond to Rosalie's soft voice and smiles in a manner that befuddled and highly embarrassed her.

What Bella knew about attraction and relationships, much like everything else having to do with people, came mostly from books and distant memories. She knew what the lingering looks and physical contact from Rosalie did to her body, but she had no idea if these things actually meant somebody has feelings for you. Rosalie's behavior could very well be perfectly normal, and not have any significance attached to it.

But there _was_ one thing she knew without a doubt, and that was Rosalie was crazy about Emmett, and Emmett was crazy about Rosalie. Just thinking Emmett's name brought about a fresh wave of pain, but as terrible as it felt, the guilt quickly surpassed it. Emmett was her best friend. Of all the Cullens, he had been the quickest to welcome her into their family. He was the reason she loosened up so fast and accepted, then returned their love. He was her most vocal defender in school. He was so many things...and she was in love with his girlfriend.

Bella screwed her eyes tightly and curled up in pain. This is bad, she thought. She was usually able to get through an episode like this without uttering a sound...but a few moments later she was unable to stop herself from releasing an anguished whimper. She had to get out. It was almost to the point of no return. This wasn't like the last few times. Those times it was slow, and took some time to build momentum, which allowed her the time to build her defence. What she was experiencing now was a freight train, and it wasn't going to stop. She bolted to the door and slammed it open...only to see Charlie bending down, about to slide her weekly allowance under the door before leaving for work. Oh no.

"Oh..hello," he said. "I was just..."

He paused, noting her disheveled appearance and tortured gaze.

"Are you...are you alright?" He asked slowly.

Bella had no idea how to respond. No, she was not alright. She wasn't even sure she could open her mouth right now. But she had reassured Charlie that she was in control. She promised him that what he feared most would never happen again. But here she was, two feet in front of her father and about to explode. Bella opened her mouth to speak, but quickly shut it again when she felt the power rise.

She forced herself to nod but her face betrayed her. Charlie cocked his head, staring at her for a few agonizing seconds before a look of dawning comprehension, shock and fear appeared on his face, which were just as quickly replaced with fierce anger. A split second later, Bella's focus shifted, because now the barrel of Charlie's gun was inches from her face.

* * *

Bella stopped breathing. She stared at the gun, too shocked to blink or move a muscle. Even the monster stopped accelerating.

She looked up at her father, and what she saw broke her heart into a thousand pieces. Charlie's face bore none of the emotion she saw seconds ago. Charlie's face bore nothing at all. He was blank. Focused. His police instincts in full force. This was not a father about to shoot his daughter. This was a police officer with a mass murderer in his sights.

Bella forced herself to blink. She forced herself to take a shallow, shaky breath. And, grateful for the burst of adrenaline she could feel building within her, she bolted in the direction of the woods as fast as the wind could carry her...faster than Charlie, or any other human could react.

Behind her, two gunshots echoed.

* * *

Bella ran faster than she had run in a long, long time. She begged the wind to help her and it complied, carrying her at unimaginable speeds through the forest. Twigs and branches snagged at her, scratching her bloody but she didn't care. She needed to put as much distance as she could between her father and herself. She ran and ran, screaming at the monster to wait just a few more seconds. Just a few more miles. When her peripheral vision started to glow a deep red she knew she could run no further. She found a small clearing and stopped, praying that nobody was around because if there was, it was too late to save them.

She closed her eyes and stood absolutely still. She was on autopilot now, going through a script she'd run through hundreds of times.

She took in a deep lungful of air, and counted out loud in a shaky voice.

"One...two...three...four...five."

When she opened her eyes, she saw red.

Immediately, the line of trees that were in her direct line of sight exploded. Not satisfied, Bella, who was now completely consumed by the monster, shifted her gaze and watched with glee as everything around her burst into flame. The grass, the trees, and any living thing within a mile of Bella was overcome with fire that burned far hotter than a normal blaze. Seconds after combusting, the flames grew so hot that whatever they touched literally started to incinerate to ashes. But it wasn't enough. She needed more. She grinned a terrible grin as she felt her power reach further. The more she destroyed, the better she felt, until finally the monster was satisfied and ceded control back to Bella. The flames receded, and then died down.

Five square miles of the forest were obliterated. Dead center in the middle of all the destruction, Bella stood, taking stock of her surroundings. Whereas seconds ago, the devastation left her with a sense of triumph, now she felt only regret and loss. Please god, she begged, please let no one be dead. That was her usual first thought after she awakened from the nightmare. She silently pleaded, over and over, too terrified to think of anything else. Then she remembered the events that had conspired before she found herself in these woods, and she dropped to her knees. The terror of what happened out here suddenly paled in comparison to what had happened with her father.

Charlie was prepared to kill her, she realized. She was such a fool. Bella really had thought that if enough time had passed, if he could just get used to her being around then he'd finally forgive her. But it didn't look like that would ever happen. Charlie's words to her from her first night with him rang clear in her mind. He would never forgive her. He would never see past what she had done. When he looked at her he didn't see Bella, his daughter the he once loved. He only saw a demon and a murderer. Even seven years ago, against the backdrop of the smouldering ruins of his neighborhood and his beloved wife, the demon blinded him to the scared, helpless girl who begged him for help.

Bella's hands reached down and tightened around fistfuls of ash as she broke down. As long as she had held her emotions at bay, that was how powerfully her sobs pushed through until they finally ripped out of her. She gasped uncontrollably as she wept for herself, for her mother, even for her father. No matter how cruel he'd become, she couldn't let herself forget that it was her doing, her existence that had caused him to detest her. She wept, knowing that despite what happened she would return to him anyway. If it was her fate to die at his hands...well it would be a fitting death.

She wept as she thought about the only family she had now. If they knew...if they saw this...She sobbed even harder when Rosalie's face swam into view. Bella didn't have a right to her feelings. She didn't deserve her. She didn't deserve any of the happiness she'd felt over the last weeks. Bella slammed her fists hard into the ground trying to bring about some pain, as if by feeling more physical torment she could obstruct the warm joy that Esme and Carlisle, Jasper, Alice, Emmett and Rosalie had made her feel. It worked, for a second. Bella slammed her fists harder, pounded her chest and her arms, smashed her head to the ground and screamed a terrible, tortured scream as she sobbed harder and harder.

She lay there like that for nearly an hour, finally too spent to move. Eventually, the feelings returned to her muscles and she forced herself to rise. As she trudged back home she reflected on the two decisions she had made in the clearing. She was going to ignore her feelings for Rosalie. She cared too much for Emmett to break his heart. She loved him dearly, and while she couldn't control the way she felt, she could control her actions. Bella would not come between any of the Cullens...she would not cause them any pain.

It might not even matter, she thought passively, considering her second decision. Because if Bella had to face Charlie's gun again, she would not run. She would stand her ground, and hope that when the bullet made contact, the monster would die along with her.

* * *

**Constructive criticism, comments, ideas, etc are always welcome. Thanks!**


	22. Fallout

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight**

* * *

Earlier that day:

"I wish I could remember being human," Alice pouted.

"Believe me darling, you're not missing much," laughed Jasper. He sped up a bit to keep even with his wife.

"Yes I am! You were just reminiscing about the some strange flower you came across during a march!" She said, sadly, referring to his days in the Confederate army.

"Darling, you and I have seen every wildflower variety in this country!" He laughed again.

"Yes, but I can't compare them to how they looked from human eyes!" She said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Jasper shook his head and smiled warmly at his wife's antics. He understood emotions better than anyone, but he still found himself in awe of the things Alice made him feel. How one person could so utterly grab hold of him, and make it possible for him to think fondly of his life, even the parts he used to want to forget, he really did not know. Jasper was about to playfully pounce on his wife when he felt something and tripped.

"Jazz?" Alice was concerned. And confused. Tripping was something humans did, or so she was told, not vampires.

She made her way towards him, but the expression on his face made her feel something she had not felt in a long time...Alice was scared.

Jasper felt...like nothing he'd ever experienced. The pain that was wracking through his mind and body, through his very soul, had him writhing on the ground and gasping for unnecessary air. He couldn't move. He couldn't think. If his heart functioned he was sure it would've stopped. It wasn't possible for anyone to feel like this. If emotions could kill, this was a textbook example. He continued to shake while Alice stood over him horrified.

Then the pain stopped...its sudden absence just as disconcerting as its initial appearance. He slowly got up, his body obviously none the worse for wear, though of course his mind and emotions were something else entirely.

But then something more terrible than the pain, though he wouldn't have believed it to be possible if he wasn't staring right it, happened. Directly in front of them, Alice and Jasper were greeted by the only sight in the world that could have a vampire running in fear: a great wall of roaring flames was coming towards them. It was big...and it was moving fast!

"Oh my god," Alice cried out.

"Run!" He yelled.

* * *

In his 300 years of existence, Carlisle had never received a message quite like this one. He had scarcely time to think about what Alice had just rambled to him on the phone when Edward appeared, having heard everything in his own thoughts.

"What can it be?" Edward asked. "It's not naturally occurring, that's clear."

"No," Carlisle responded. "Alice's description does not indicate it to be so."

"This is dangerous," Edward hissed. "What are the odds that something like that-something that can kill all of us might I add-happens only thirty miles from here? Right on top of Alice and Jasper?!"

Even without vampire ears, they probably still would've heard the angry hiss from upstairs.

"Edward, stop looking for any excuse to tuck tail and run!" Rosalie shouted from her room. "We're not going anywhere."

Edward snarled, and Carlisle could only sigh. The last 18 hours had been fraught with tension and at times, open hostility between Edward and Rosalie. Edward was convinced that the family was heading for deep trouble where Bella was concerned. Carlisle knew most of his son's anxiety had more to do with his inability to see into Bella's mind. It was understandable, Carlisle mused, for him to view Bella as a threat, though the idea of a human posing a threat to a vampire still made Carlisle and Esme chuckle behind their closed doors.

Edward glared at him, and he shrugged unabashedly. Oops.

Carlisle masked his thoughts once again, this time thinking of the hours that had dragged from the moment Rosalie and Emmett came back from their outing with Bella last night.

"You're going to do WHAT?!" Edward had screamed when he detected the pair's thoughts.

"Do contain yourself, Edward," Alice glided down the stairs with Jasper in tow. "At least let them explain."

"Explain what?!" He continued to shout, much to Alice's annoyance. "How they're going to be one big happy family? How Emmett is willing to share his wife with another goddamn woman? A human?!"

Carlisle couldn't deny the shock he had felt, but one look at the dawning understanding on Esme's face and he knew that he hadn't been observant enough the last few weeks. Esme would fill him in later on the attraction that had been building between Rosalie and Bella, the torment that attraction had caused in Rosalie, and Emmett's apparent awareness and blessing from the very start. When she finished talking, Carlisle nearly had a headache from the day-by-day analysis his wife had given him. He couldn't believe he missed all of that.

He wasn't _entirely_ unobservant however. He knew his eldest son longer, and better than anyone save for Esme. Edward's near-violent reactions to their relationships with Bella, and now Rosalie's desire to mate with her, were indicative of something else that he believed his son felt, but would never admit. Edward was the sole member of their family without a mate. Before Edward exiled himself in Denali, Carlisle suspected that his blood lust for Bella had a sexual component. Whatever may have happened if he had stayed was out of the possibility now...but Carlisle suspected that if Edward had stayed and managed to overcome his lust for Bella's blood, it would be he that might be considering her for a mate.

Now that Carlisle understood the extent of Rosalie's relationship with Bella and the imminent possibilities, he strongly suspected that it was this lost chance at a mate that fueled Edward's hostility towards his sister.

Who would have predicted that in a few short weeks, a human would have this much of an impact on his family? Bella was an enigma. She was the only human in all of Carlisle's existence that displayed absolutely no hesitation or fear with vampires. Most humans had good instincts with regard to predators like vampires. Even in his work, Carlisle's patients often shook with agitation when in his care, itching to leave his presence though of course they had no idea why. Bella, though, calmly and willingly walked into the vampire's den almost every day since she'd arrived in Forks. She had formed unheard-of bonds with his wife and children, and even with himself. Carlisle had always enjoyed the company of humans, but they had never reciprocated...until Bella. They had spent hours together in his library, she listening to anything he chose to share, and he watching her attack his books with glee.

Her intellect was astounding. But it was her apparent gift that kept her constantly in his thoughts since yesterday. Carlisle knew that Bella's gift was extraordinarily powerful. No one, human or vampire, had ever been able to block Edward before. Yet she was able to do it without even knowing it. And that this power affected Alice's abilities as well? Carlisle itched to inquire with the girl about her mind, but of course he could do no such thing. Much to his surprise, he once again found himself wishing Bella could join their family. He felt terrible when that thought crossed his mind the first time, and had been afraid to share it with his wife. But when he did, Esme gave him a sad look and agreed, admitting to having similar thoughts herself.

"That man is no good," she said, referring to Bella's negligent father.

That was another thing Carlisle could not understand. He had known and respected Chief Swan for a couple of years. He was Carlisle's biggest supporter in the city's government, and had, on more than one occasion, vocally defended his character and medical expertise to close-minded people in town. Yet the man was treating his only daughter with a terrible rancor. He was as shocked as the rest of them to learn of Bella's living situation, and, like each of them had done at one point, went to see the shed for himself and confirmed what he could not at first believe. He had seen the man at work a few times since, and Carlisle had tried to subtly drop some hints about his kids being in high school, waiting for the Chief to say he had a daughter. He got nothing, further fueling Carlisle's disbelief and fascination for Bella.

Now, however, Carlisle could only give his son a meaningful look. He left his mind unguarded for Edward to hear. Try to keep an open mind, Edward. Your sister would do the same for you if things were reversed, he silently begged his son.

Edward swallowed what was most likely a poisonous remark meant to agitate his already agitated sister. He growled, but stayed silent, thank god.

"We should see this...thing for ourselves before any decisions are made. Alice said the fires have long gone out. Would you like to come with me, Edward?" Carlisle asked, extending an olive branch.

Edward only nodded, then the intense, cold look returned to his eyes and a moment later, Carlisle understood why. Rosalie had appeared at the bottom of the stairs, her face a perfect stony mask.

"Ah, you'll be coming as well?" He said, groaning inwardly. He didn't think any of them would be singing Kumbaya on this trip. "Excellent."

* * *

Alice was the best of the Cullens at hiding her thoughts from Edward, which was why Jasper disappeared when his senses picked the boy up along with Carlisle and Rosalie. No need to get him even more riled up.

Alice met them a mile away from the devastation. As she recited Mozart's complete works silently, she explained, almost exactly, what had happened earlier. When they neared the site, she switched to Beethoven and avoided Edward's suspicious gaze.

"And then we saw this," she said, pointing ahead.

Carlisle, Edward, and Rosalie gasped, echoing her and Jasper's discovery earlier. This part of the forest was...gone. They had seen countless forest fires before but this was unlike anything they could comprehend. At the edge of the battlefield (a rough circular field, they all noted with confusion) there were some standing trees, charred completely black. But a 100 or so yards into the epicenter there was...absolutely nothing. No trees, no grass, not one living thing. As impossible as it seemed, everything was now a massive pile of ash.

Alice looked at Carlisle, as did Edward and Rosalie, and what they saw did not reassure them. Carlisle stood in awe, completely taken aback and, unfortunately, as lost as they were. Well, most of them. Alice needed to get Rosalie out of Edward's range. Her nimble mind moved on to list the works of Schubert, Chopin and Bach.

"Do you think it could be a bomb?" Alice asked. "I've never actually seen their effects, obviously, but..."

Alice of course didn't really think this was the work of a bomb, but she had "tested" this little theory earlier and saw that it would stick.

"Hmm," Carlisle said, suddenly thoughtful. "Yes, I've heard many accounts of their devastation. This does look like what I'd expect, though if I had to guess I'd say a firebomb...they're quieter...using an incredibly effective incendiary."

The rest of them grew uncomfortable, even Alice. They didn't like discussing so cavalierly things that could instantly end their existence.

"I thought," Edward said quietly, "this thing was moving towards you too fast?"

Alice had to be very careful now. She couldn't make a mistake.

"Yea..." She said sheepishly. "Sorry about that. The wall of flames startled me pretty badly. It was moving fast, but nothing out of the ordinary."

She finished off her performance by visualizing a carefully choreographed "memory" of what had happened, and lifted her crude protections on her mind to allow Edward to see it.

"Hmph," he said. "I'm going home."

Alice sighed in relief when he was finally gone. Rosalie gave her a funny look, but she shook her head and signaled for her to stay with her.

"Will you join us?" Carlisle asked her.

"Not for a while," Alice said excitedly. "I have to show Rosalie this new design label I just saw in Port Angeles. Rose, you'll love it!"

Carlisle nodded. "Very well," he said. "Enjoy yourselves, ladies. Oh, and Rose?"

"Yes?" She asked. Alice turned away, knowing already what would be said.

"I hope things work out the way you want them to with Bella," Carlisle said gently. "Don't let Edward get to you. She's a wonderful girl and you deserve each other."

Rosalie smiled. "Thank you, Carlisle."

He nodded and left. Rosalie turned to Alice then, suspicion written all over her face.

"All right, what the hell is going on?" She asked. "You were lying the whole time!"

"Yes, yes," Alice admitted. "But you better 'believe me' when you're around Edward."

"What's going on, Alice?" Rosalie asked again.

Alice sighed and gave her a funny look. "It's Bella."

Instantly, Rosalie's face turned to ash. "Did something happen? Is she alright?"

"She's ok...Jasper went to check on her, and if anything was amiss he would've called or come back by now."

"Why is he checking on her?" Rosalie demanded. "Alice, stop stalling and tell me everything goddamn it!"

Alice took a deep breath, and checked one more time that no ears were in the vicinity that could hear. "There's something about this place...we came back when we realized the fire had gone out. When we were running, I kept trying to see what would happen. I tried to see us coming back, tried to spot any potential danger. Only...I couldn't see anything. Or, rather, I couldn't see anything beyond this very thick fog."

"Bella!" Rosalie gasped, aware of the strange effect Bella had on Alice's visions.

"Yeah," Alice said. "I tried to fight through it but nothing showed up. When we did get back, the place was as empty as it is now."

There was silence for a few minutes. Then Alice added, "I figured Edward would try to use this to convince the family to leave. That's why I didn't want him to suspect that Bella might have something to do with this. Though...what the connection is...I can't imagine."

"Thank you for that," Rosalie said quietly. "He won't hear anything from me."

Alice nodded, then suddenly looked quite exhausted. "I'm going hunting," she said. "Jasper's going to meet me as soon as you get there."

"Uh, get where?" Rosalie asked.

Alice gave her a skeptical look. "Bella?" She said, slowly. "Your future mate? You need to start wooing her!" She changed her tone and got much quieter. "Jasper says she's in terrible pain, Rose. I don't know what's wrong, but I don't like that she's hurting so much. Please make her feel better."

Alice noted the pained look on Rosalie's face. Edward's an idiot, she thought. He thinks what Rosalie felt was nothing more than sexual. Fool.

Rosalie nodded. "Thanks, Alice."

Alice turned to run closer to their house, to her usual hunting ground. "Oh, and we'll let Emmett know. Stay as long as you like! I'll try not to peek..." She pouted, then grinned slyly at Rosalie's glare.

Alice and Rosalie both parted, not before each of them gave the burnt out forest one final look.

* * *

**A/N: I know diddly squat about bombs or firebombs or any of that. Hopefully, knowledgeable people who are reading this, you'll forgive my lack of research. As always, I await your thoughts and constructive criticism! So lovely to wake up to that...best start to my day!**

**FYI, I have to work a little late today (2/5) and then I have to be at the gym. I'll do my best to get the next chapter up tonight, but if it's not up by 2 am Eastern time you'll have to wait till tomorrow. Sorry, but sleep is kind of important :)  
**


	23. Sleep

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight**

* * *

Rosalie found Jasper on a treetop between Bella's shed and her father's house. One look at him and she knew something was off. Jasper's face was...vindictive. Rosalie knew deep down that Jasper would never consciously harm Bella, but her protective feelings for the girl took over anyway.

"What are you doing?" She hissed at him.

Jasper shook his head. "Nothing to Bella," he said. "Her father on the other hand..."

He growled, pointing at the house. Through the living room windows Rosalie could see Chief Swan doubled over, sobbing.

"He needed an attitude adjustment," Jasper replied to Rosalie's quizzical stare. "I'm providing it."

Rosalie raised an eyebrow at that. Jasper rarely used his gift so actively. She sometimes forgot that he could do far more to someone than calm them down. She glanced again in Chief Swan's direction and winced at the tortured expression on his face.

"Don't worry," he said. "He won't turn suicidal. Just repentant."

"What did he do?" Rosalie asked slowly.

Jasper paused and braced himself. He might have to restrain Rosalie.

"He looked like he was going to shoot Bella," he said.

"WHAT?!"

As he predicted, Rosalie immediately lunged towards the house and he had to knock her to the ground before she could murder the man.

"Stop it! Bella will hear," he hissed. "I said it looked like it. He didn't actually _do_ anything. When I got here, Bella was in her shed and Charlie was where he is now, staring out the window."

Rosalie struggled some more, then finally relaxed. "All right! Get off of me. I'm fine," she insisted.

He released her and watched her carefully as she dusted herself off, glaring at him. Jasper stared back blankly, still linked to the man inside.

"What exactly happened" She asked reluctantly.

"It wasn't anything he actually did. It was the way he felt," he said. "He was full of anger, hatred, fear... He loathes Bella. And then I sensed a determination coming from him. And a resolve. I had already made sure Bella was ok, so I got a little closer to the house to see what was going on. And that's when I saw...Charlie's hand on his gun. He was holding his gun, while feeling all those things, and he was thinking about Bella."

Jasper was shaking now as he recounted what had led him to his intervention. Inside the house, Charlie fell to the floor and sobbed louder.

"That's when I stepped in," he said and finally looked up at Rosalie's face, and recoiled.

If Rosalie was the empath instead of him, he doubted she would have felt any remorse as she forced Charlie through the most sadistic torture imaginable. Be that it may, her natural ruthlessness began to affect him, and through him the suffering man in the house, and Jasper knew he had to stop before he lost control. Charlie was indeed fortunate that Rosalie lacked his gift, he thought.

They stood like that for a few minutes. Inside, Charlie's sniveling winded down at last.

"How is she?" Rosalie asked, her eyes finally a dark honey instead of the pitch black they were before.

"I'm...not sure," Jasper's shoulder slumped. Sustaining the power it took to bring down a poised man like Charlie had taken a toll on him, but his look of defeat now had nothing to do with the exhaustion setting in. "Her emotions keep changing...but no matter what she feels, be it guilt or remorse, she's hurting something awful. It's...it's too painful for me to bear," he said, guiltily.

Jasper could feel Rosalie's heart break, and he winced at the intensity of her feelings of helplessness. He put an arm around her shoulders and tried to take away some of her pain.

"I know," he said, sadly. "I feel it too. I don't know what's happening to her, or why she was out in the woods today, but please find a way to make her see how much she means to all of us...how much we all love her."

Rosalie nodded, and gave him a tight hug. He felt the waves of gratitude and love for him, which he returned in kind. That was another effect Bella seemed to have on them. He didn't know how she did it, but their mutual love for her had somehow strengthened their bonds with each other. Jasper felt it everyday...whenever Rosalie or Emmett glanced at Esme as she mentored Bella in her craft...When Carlisle walked past Alice's room as she impatiently taught the girl how to use an eyelash curler...when he himself shed his inhibitions and joined Emmett and Bella on the roof...it was like each of them loved one another more...simply for loving and caring for Bella.

Edward better get his act together, he mused.

With a final nod, Rosalie made her way to the shed. Jasper knew he needed to go hunting soon, and he turned to run back to his wife. Before he could race off though, he felt an outburst of joy and love. He looked back and smiled-Bella was at the door.

Jasper grinned, and he let the glow of Bella's and Rosalie's love for one another fuel his return home.

* * *

"Hello!" Rosalie exclaimed with a smile before Bella could say anything.

Bella just stood there, dumbfounded, and tried very hard not to do what everything in her body was screaming at her to do, which was to reach up and kiss her.

She's Emmett's girlfriend. She's Emmett's girlfriend, she screamed back at her body.

"Hi," Bella responded, and with a questioning glance at the beauty (gulp) in front of her asked, "what's up?"

Rosalie cocked her head and half-smiled, making Bella swoon even more. "Are you going to invite me in?"

"Oh, yeah. Of course," Bella stumbled, and for the first time wished she had a nicer home to show her guest.

Rosalie's eyes didn't linger on any particular area of her sparse home, and Bella wondered about that until she realized Rosalie had been here before. With a blush she recalled that it was Rosalie who helped her out of her dress before putting her to bed last night. Oh god, she silently moaned.

Pull yourself together! She mentally slapped herself. It was lucky she was so drained from her earlier explosion. She was terrified to think of the damage her rocky emotions could've done right now otherwise.

Rosalie suddenly looked very concerned, and Bella's heart pounded in her chest when she felt cool hands caressing her cheeks, Rosalie's eyes wandering over the scratches that criss-crossed her face.

"What happened?" Rosalie asked.

"Huh," Bella tried to remember how to speak. All she could comprehend at the moment were the hands touching her skin and the golden eyes in front of her.

"Uh," she finally managed to say, "I was running...in the woods. Got a little careless with the trees."

Rosalie suddenly furrowed her eyebrows. "You were out there today? You saw the fire then?"

Bella's thundering heart skipped a beat. How did she...?

"Alice and Jasper were in the woods near the area," Rosalie answered her silent question. "They told us about the fire."

Alice and Jasper...Alice and Jasper...they were there...Bella felt the terror coursing through her. Alice and Jasper were there. They could've been killed. She...she could've killed two of her best friends today. She was unable to completely mask her emotions from Rosalie.

"They're alright!" Rosalie added. "Really, they weren't close enough to be in any danger. You on the other hand..." She quieted, looking at the numerous shallow cuts on her face and neck. "You must have been really close to run that hard. Bella, what were you doing out there by yourself? You could've been killed."

Bella taught herself how to breathe all over again. She obviously couldn't tell Rosalie the truth-that fire never had, and never could hurt her-but she didn't want to lie too much to her either. There had been a few outright lies that were unavoidable in her relationship with the Cullens (her living with an aunt for the last seven years being the most glaring fib), but when she could, Bella tried hard to be as honest as possible with them. It was the least she could do, after all they did open their lives and home to her.

So Bella tried to come up with a way to be truthful, but not so truthful that she would expose herself.

She sighed and sat down on her gnarly couch. "I went out there to blow off some steam," she said, trying to think of how she could elaborate on that one.

Rosalie did not look satisfied. "You walked ten miles into wild country...without telling anyone, without a cellphone...so you could blow off some steam?"

Rosalie sat down uncomfortably close next to her and reached for her hand. Bella closed her eyes, enjoying the cool touch before she snapped out of it (she's Emmett's girlfriend!).

"Bella," she said softly. "What happened?"

Bella could look into her eyes forever, she thought to herself. She had already memorized the differences between each of the Cullens' eyes, and she found herself following each fleck, each nuance of Rosalie's golden irises.

She blinked. "Charlie..."

She thought she saw a hard glint in Rosalie's eyes, but she reverted to her previous soft look and Bella dismissed the thought.

Bella prayed she could get through this. She couldn't think of anything that would explain a ten mile trek, so she could only hope Rosalie would be satisfied with her brief explanation.

She continued, "We got into an argument. I was upset so...I took a walk."

Were it Emmett or Alice, that explanation would've been met with countless questions. But Rosalie had a knack for knowing how far to push Bella, and she thankfully didn't ask her for any further elaboration.

Rosalie sighed. "You know, someday I'm probably going to snap and punch your father."

Bella smiled at that, enjoying the image. Rosalie smiled back, then sat back a little more on the couch. Bella noticed her distaste and felt terrible knowing how uncomfortable the thing was if you weren't used to it.

"Sorry," she apologized, "Even I hardly ever sit here. The bed's much more comfortable."

Bella realized what she'd said the second she finished saying it. Oh god, she groaned. Did she just invite Rosalie (Emmett's girlfriend, she reminded herself) to her bed? Don't blush! It was an innocent remark! Blush and she'll know what you're thinking!

Rosalie just smiled softly. "All right, you're the boss."

Say what? Before she could dwell on it, Bella led her upstairs. By the time Rosalie landed on the floor, Bella thought her blush had diminished enough so she could face her. They quickly tidied the unmade bed and, facing the window, sat together against Bella's headboard with their feet out. So comfortable, she thought. The bed _was_ more pleasant, certainly, than the lumpy couch, but Bella's current tranquility had more to do with Rosalie's body squished next to her than with any mattress or soft pillow. Bella silently thanked Charlie for the twin bed.

They sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes, and Bella marveled that she could enjoy someone's company so much that even words were unnecessary.

"Where did you learn to play?" Rosalie asked, referring to the piano.

Bella smiled. "I had lessons when I was little. In Pennsylvania, there were a lot of libraries where I lived and I liked to bike to different ones. Most of them had a piano somewhere."

"Bella, you do realize how amazing you were last night, don't you?" Rosalie said. "You could be a master pianist in any symphony in the world."

She blushed at that. She knew she was good, but hearing Rosalie say so made her feel a little light-headed.

"Tell me more about your childhood. About growing up," Rosalie said.

Bella paused, not sure how go about this. Be as honest as you can, she reminded herself.

So Bella talked about what she could remember from her early years. She told her about her mother and her antics. She talked about how her father had tried and failed to instill in her a love for sports, and had insisted on taking her to numerous games and teaching her to play. She loved the attention and spending time with him, but she failed to develop his crazy obsession for moving balls and sweaty players. She told her that it was her mother who encouraged her to take piano lessons, and had been the one to support her passion for it. Renée was artsy and creative, while Charlie was always a serious man of few words.

Bella went on, and Rosalie listened. She told her about her biking through the East coast when she was younger (stretching the truth a little of course-she had biked and walked up and down the coast, just not for a summer adventure as she told her) and the small towns where she'd stopped. She told her about the journey to Forks, mentally calculating a normal amount of time that it would've presumably taken her to get from PA to Washington.

They talked for hours. Little by little Bella felt herself get physically closer to the blonde, so that not just their shoulders and arms, but their hips and legs were touching too. By the time Bella started to get drowsy she had grown comfortable enough with the close proximity that she no longer blushed every time she felt Rosalie move. It didn't stop her body from tingling from her touch, she mentally noted. The last thought that went through her head before she drifted to sleep was how much she would love if Rosalie stayed with her through the night...

* * *

Rosalie felt her nodding off and held still the way only a vampire can. She was thankful that she'd gone hunting with Emmett that morning, otherwise she never would've been able to stand being this close to Bella for so long. Bella was...alluring, she thought as she gently inhaled her intoxicating scent. Before she had gotten close to the girl, her scent made her angry. As they became better friends, she was weary at first, then gradually learned to ignore the scent the closer they got. Now that she had finally acknowledged her romantic feelings, Bella's scent drove her wild...not a bloodthirsty gotta-bite-her wild like Edward...it was a wild that made her want to do far more to the girl.

Rosalie slowly stretched one arm and encircled Bella as they both plunged lower into the bed. She relaxed and basked in Bella's warmth, her face in the crook of her neck. Bella sleepily snuggled further into her side, and it was Rosalie's turn to tingle in excitement when she felt her arm and leg drape over her. Bella fit there perfectly...She closed her eyes in contentment. This was heaven.

For the first time in her life, Rosalie was grateful she was a vampire. She never would have found Bella otherwise.

* * *

**Author's note: Things will pick up starting next chapter, O impatient readers. In the meantime, talk to me!**


	24. Awaken

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

* * *

It was still dark out when Bella regained consciousness. The pillow she was using was oddly cold, but soft and comfortable as hell. She stretched a little and pulled her pillow closer, sighing as her head fell into a particularly soft bit. Suddenly she felt her pillow move, and Bella froze.

She was lying on top of Rosalie, not some pillow. Her heart thumped in her chest as her eyes adjusted to the dark and saw that her arms and legs were wrapped around the blonde, and her head happened to be resting on her breasts. Oh my god.

Rosalie didn't seem to have felt Bella's panic...she continued on in her slumber, softly breathing in and out...the motion that had alerted Bella to her presence. For an agonizing minute, Bella wondered what to do. Should she wake her? Sleep on the couch? All the while, Bella couldn't take her eyes off of her. The soft moonlight bathed her face, and Bella could've sworn her skin was shimmering a little. So beautiful, she thought.

In the end Bella drew on all her bravery and stayed put. She gingerly lay back down in Rosalie's arms, closed her eyes, and relished what would probably be the only time she'd ever feel this nirvana.

She awoke once more a few hours later to the irritating "beep beep" of her watch. The first thing she noticed was Rosalie's absence. The second thing she noticed was a short note by her bed, 'Sorry I fell asleep! Went home to get ready for school. See you later!' She got up, wishing she could hold on to the feeling of Rosalie by her side forever, and started her day.

As she biked past Charlie's cruiser she briefly wondered at the lack of contact with the man after yesterday's confrontation. If she was perfectly honest with herself, when the property came into view after her run home yesterday, she was mentally prepared for death. She thought Charlie would've seen the smoke from the fire for sure and that it would have triggered a similar or worse reaction in him than what prompted him to pull out his gun on her. She had stared at the bullets lodged in her wall for a long time yesterday, going through a series of terrible emotions that only stopped when Rosalie knocked on her door.

Rosalie...the sight of her was like a miracle cure. One look at her was enough to remind Bella of what she'd miss if she died. One look was enough for her to beg the gods for a second chance. She wanted to live...badly. If all she got out of it was the chance to see Rosalie every day, then living, as difficult and dangerous as it was, was worth it. The hours of conversation with her yesterday were like a dream. How else to explain the ecstasy that merely sitting next to Rosalie brought in her? Even now, simply recalling the night with the girl made Bella's skin buzz with electricity. She pedaled faster, the euphoria that was flooding her veins providing fuel for her body.

But she couldn't stay happy for long. Invariably, as she pictured Rosalie's moonlit face, another masculine, dimpled, and forever cheerful face joined hers. She loved Emmett. He didn't deserve this. He was a good, kind and loving person who had been like a brother to Bella from the very beginning. She knew she had to stop thinking about his girlfriend this way...stop fantasizing about her...but how do you stop a heart from beating? How on earth was she to stop her body from automatically curling up into Rosalie's whenever she sat next to her, which was often? 'You're not trying very hard though,' she thought, thinking of last night. She could've stayed on the couch. She could've woken Rosalie up. She could've, she should've...

She was weak-willed yesterday, she told herself. Rosalie had come at Bella's lowest since her first days in Forks. Yes, Bella had clung to Rosalie last night the same way she had clung to Esme the night they met. 'You didn't sleep on top of Esme, though...'

She growled at herself. It was a new day. She wasn't dead by infanticide. The fiery monster was released and no danger today. And though a very different fire was raging through her these days, surely this one will be easier to contain. Right?

* * *

"Love, I don't think Carlisle and Esme would be too pleased with that," Emmett chuckled. His answer was in response to Rosalie's casual inquiry: what would happen if they scattered pieces of Edward's body through the Pacific? It wasn't a permanent death, she reasoned. But a few decades inside an orca might teach him some humility and an appreciation for life.

"Hmph," Rosalie said. "You don't know that...I'll ask Alice later..."

Emmett just rolled his eyes and smiled. Rosalie had come back this morning glowing and it had nothing to do with the brief exposure to sunlight at dawn. Even though he knew nothing serious had actually happened between her and Bella (he was sure Alice wouldn't have been able to contain her squeals if it had) he still marveled at the effect Bella had on his wife. When she walked into their bedroom, she had greeted him with a passionate kiss that had him reeling. They made love all morning. They've always been more passionate than the average vampire couple (which was saying something) so it wasn't like that morning had broken a dry spell or anything. But the fervor with which Rosalie drove down into his thrusts...and the way she looked at him all the while...needless to say, he was a very happy man that day.

Even Edward couldn't spoil it for him. All night, Edward had pressed on with the jokes and the scorn. Emmett was not a simpleton-he knew most conventional people would consider him a foolish cuckold, deserving of every derisive smackdown that Edward had thrown at him. But Emmett was a man who was far more comfortable with himself, his manhood, and his relationship with his wife than most...certainly more than his mopey brother. Edward's comments did not stick. And after this morning, they bounced right off of him.

"Just try to keep from chopping his head off for a few hours," he said as they rolled to a stop at the school parking lot. "The humans would most certainly notice."

"Hmph," she said again. But she composed herself as only she could. If only Edward would've left them alone...

"There's the happy couple!" Edward drawled as he exited his Volvo. Emmett groaned as he wondered which was the best spot to slam down his fist.

"You can't act like a man so you think bashing my car will make up for it?" Edward said. "Nice."

"That's quite enough, Edward," Jasper warned. Jasper, though he wasn't the target, had borne a lot of abuse last night. Edward's emotions affected him so much that by daybreak he and Alice retreated a few miles away into the woods just to avoid Edward's poisonous emotions. Poor Jasper looked like hell. He took one look at Edward, then kissed his wife and ran inside the school. He just couldn't take it anymore.

"When are you going to get it?!" Edward exclaimed, though still too fast and quiet for the humans to hear. "This girl is going to be the end of us! We're _vampires_. She's _human_. One of these days one of us is going to slip. One of these days the Volturi will ask us why in fuck's name a human knows about our existence, and we'll all burn for it! You had to pick the one bitch in the universe who can block me?!"

Rosalie growled. Alice held her back.

"Disrespect her again," Emmett said slowly, "and I will pummel every car you own, from now through eternity, into a toaster sized hunk of steel. You got that?"

"You've all gone mad," Edward said softly. "How can you at least not be worried about her? Rosalie could've killed her last night. She was inches from her neck-I heard your thoughts!" He said, looking at Rosalie. "How would you feel then if you lost control? You've done it before! You know what it's like when the blood lust takes over, and you don't realize what's happening until your victim is drained and lifeless. Would you ever forgive yourself? Or Esme if she's the one? Or Jasper? Or your husband here? Would you be able to look at him...if what you feel for Bella is as real as you think it is...and your own husband is the one who lost control..."

"One way or another," he continued. "Bella will break up this family, and I will NOT stand by and watch that happen! Even if I have to get rid of her myself!"

That was so the wrong thing to say. Three pairs of low growls and murderous stares hit the boy.

"I have had it with you," Emmett said slowly. "None of us are going to hurt her. She's a daughter to Esme and Carlisle. She's my best friend and sister, and I know Alice and Jasper feel the same way. And as for my wife," he growled, "what we decide to do with our marriage is none of your goddamn business. I don't know, and I frankly don't care if Bella finds out about us someday. The hell with the Volturi and the hell with you. And," he leaned closer to Edward, towering over him, "if you lay a finger on Bella, Rosalie and I will spend all of our eternity making sure you never have another moment of peace. You got that brother?"

Edward glared daggers at him. Rosalie stood by Emmett and glared back. Alice ran through a few scenarios that could break through the chill in the air.

"Come on, Edward," she said. "Give her a chance. I saw her making an effort with you. She's going to try to befriend you tonight."

"Tonight?" Edward looked at her, then huffed at what he heard. "Dinner? We're going to have dinner with her? How in the name of all that is holy are we going to manage that?"

"With creative thinking I'm sure!" Alice smiled. "I've already seen it. It'll be fine. Bella won't notice a thing!"

Ever the diplomat, Alice took his arm and led her obstinate brother inside the school. Emmett and Rosalie followed, stopping only to wave to Bella who was locking up her bike.

"Come on Bella Bear!" Emmett grinned like a maniac. Bella smiled softly, and walked inside beside them.

* * *

**5 Minutes Earlier:**

When Bella made it to school she was a little annoyed. She wished she could run, really run. Her race through the woods yesterday was the fastest she'd run in a long time...but she knew she could go faster. Wind was unstoppable...She wondered if it had a speed limit.

If she was honest with herself, she'd admit she missed using her benign gift. She had relied on it so much during her exile. It if it wasn't for the wind, she would've had a much harder time sustaining herself...not to mention she may have broken a few bones from falling from trees. What she missed the most though, was listening to nature's symphony every night. There was so much that regular people missed, she mused in wonder. How can they claim to understand nature when they haven't even heard a fraction of the things Bella could hear when she asked the wind?

The Cullens' cars arrived at the parking lot a moment after she did. As she bent to lock her bike, she sensed something was wrong. The family, always jovial and united, looked anything but. She looked over the frame of her bike and saw Emmett and Rosalie glaring daggers at Edward. A moment later Alice and Jasper got out of their car, both looking just as weary. Jasper didn't linger outside for long, but the others stood in their places...whispering furiously to each other. Confused and concerned, Bella wished she could hear their conversation.

As if a genie were granting her wish, Bella suddenly could.

Her eyes widened in shock as she realized what was happening. The wind, much like it did with the sounds of nature, was delivering the whispered words her friends were exchanging straight to her ears. It didn't matter how fast or softly they were speaking. The wind slowed them down and intensified their voices so Bella could hear them as clear as a bell.

And she heard them. She heard every single word.

* * *

**Author's Note: Dun dun dun. **


	25. Vampires

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

**Author's note I: Full disclosure...the dinner arrangement is 100% thanks to Princess Alexandria's Tossing Stone. I tried and tried, but alas could not think of a better way to explain how the Cullens could "eat" with Bella. Did I mention how awesome her fic is?**

**Author's note II: I'm so sorry I didn't get this up last night. I was actually nearly finished...on the last section, when I realized I was starting to write gibberish. I didn't want to screw up that last section so decided to bite the bullet and get some sleep.**

* * *

Vampires.

Bella stared straight ahead as she walked to her first class alongside Alice. How she managed to get to her desk without colliding into anyone or anything on the way, Bella did not know.

Vampires. The word was flooding her brain. Vampires. Vampires!

By second period, Bella had managed to get her head in enough working order to think beyond that impossible word. But even with her lightning speed mind and perfect recall, it still took her the rest of the morning to piece together and analyze everything she'd heard.

The Cullens are vampires. That was the first and most obvious hurdle she needed to clear. The way Edward was talking...she didn't think it was a practical joke. He was dead serious, and his siblings were as well. Her mind added that classification to her mental files of the Cullens, and like looking at the same picture with a different lense, she immediately saw the signs that were in front of her all along. The strange eyes. The cool skin. The speed with which Rosalie had moved the first night she met her. The things the wind had tried to tell her the first time she met Emmett. All those times each of them had been able to find her in town as if she had a spotlight turned on her. And the most obvious sign of all-she had never seen them eat. Not once. Not ever. She tried and tried to think back, replaying every day she'd spent with them in her head, looking for just one example that would mean all of this was just her own insanity...but no. In the cafeteria, in their home, none of the Cullens ate.

As she got used to the idea of her adopted family living off of blood, her thoughts turned to Edward himself. She learned three things about Edward today. He hated her enough to want to kill her. He could read minds. Every mind but hers. She smiled smugly at that. Way to go brain! Stop it, she thought. Edward's concerns were no laughing matter. The boy seemed to think she posed a threat to his family...either she'd expose them by finding out their secret...or she'd expose them by becoming their victim. Some part of her knew she was supposed to be afraid right now, but Bella hadn't been living with a monster all these years for nothing. Granted, bloodthirsty vampires are a tad more frightening than any of the would-be muggers and sexual predators she'd encountered during her years alone. But how could she fear a hypothetical monster when she herself was one? Edward said they can easily lose control...that they wouldn't realize they were killing someone until it was too late. Hadn't she gone through the same thing herself? Only she doubted their body counts were as high as hers...

She felt a rumbling in her chest and instantly froze. Focus. Breathe.

No, she didn't fear the Cullens. She was wary of Edward, sure, but she wasn't exactly a vulnerable little red riding hood. She had better defenses than any other human they've probably encountered.

She tried to stop her mind from turning to the last significant bit of information she had gleaned, but it was no use-once set on a path, she couldn't just _not_ think.

Rosalie...

And Emmett. Husband and wife. The words filled her with a deep sadness and a terrible shame. They were married. They were married and in love, for who knows how long. It was bad enough before...now, the thought of potentially coming between this loving, married couple made her sick. But...Edward said Rosalie felt something too. Her memory never lied. He had asked Rosalie "if what she felt for Bella was as real as she thought..." What does that mean? Could Rosalie possibly have feelings for her? And Emmett knew?! It can't be, she thought. It just can't be.

"Miss Swan!"

Bella looked up. The teacher, Mr. Gilpin, and the whole class were staring at her. Jessica and Lauren were sniggering rather noticeably.

Bella swallowed, but kept her face blank. "Yes, sir?"

"I asked you a question, young lady. If you would rejoin us here on planet Earth, we're all waiting for your answer."

Question? She looked briefly at the clock-they were halfway through class and she hadn't taken in any of it. It wasn't like she missed anything-she'd already read every book that was and would ever be assigned in this class...probably read every book and dissertation the teacher had read in college too. But that wouldn't help her now, because for the life of her she had no idea what question Mr. Gilpin was referring to.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Gilpin," she said in what she hoped was an apologetic voice. "Would you please repeat the question?"

"No, Miss Swan I will not," he said curtly. "I will however, see you in detention."

Jessica and Lauren, and several others she noted, openly snickered again. She didn't miss the glares Alice and Jasper sent their way though, and she smiled in their direction, silently thanking them.

"Bells, is everything ok?" Jasper asked her after class finally ended.

"Yes, Jasper. Thank you," Bella replied, looking closely at him and trying to see the bloodthirsty monster he was supposed to be. She couldn't. She only saw the gentle, kind boy (man, she corrected herself...just how old were they?) she'd always known.

"I was just somewhere else, that's all," she reassured them.

"Hmm..." Alice had a faraway look in her eyes, then she brightened. "Would you like me to get in trouble too! That way I could keep you company in detention!"

Bella couldn't help the snort that accompanied her laugh. Was this girl really a vampire? It was probably because she was giddy with...the craziness...of everything, but Bella suddenly felt an overwhelming affection for her friends. Without thinking, she grabbed the two of them and enveloped them in a huge hug.

"Um, thanks Bella. Are you sure you're ok?" Jasper asked from inside her clutch.

Bella opened her mouth to respond, but all that came out was a resounding laughter that surprised even herself. She tried to stop, but all she achieved was an even louder laugh, and before she knew it she was doubled over on the floor of the hallway, tears falling from her face and no end in sight to her hysterics.

"Do humans normally do this?"

Alice was asking Jasper, not knowing that Bella could hear. Bella let out a new round of wild giggles until she had to gasp to catch her breath.

She finally gathered her wits and looked up to Alice's and Jasper's bewildered faces. She contained the fresh bubbles that wanted to pour out and instead hugged them both again.

"I love you guys!" She said with a bright smile. Then she leaned up and gave each of them a dramatic, friendly kiss on the cheek.

"See you later!" She yelled as she headed for her next class, leaving them both gaping after her.

* * *

As it turned out, Bella actually felt grateful for the hour of detention in which she got to sit all alone, contemplating on what would happen that evening. True to her word, Alice invited her to dinner that night on behalf of Esme, and Bella agreed without hesitation. Only later, in the solitude of detention, did it occur to her that Edward was right about one thing-how _were_ they going to pull off a family dinner when vampires presumably couldn't eat human food?

Alice said everything was going to be ok-she "saw" it. Ok, one vampire reads minds, another vampire sees the future. Terrific. She wondered if every vampire could so something cool like that. It was hard not getting her head warped by Alice's ability...she "saw" that Bella would try to befriend Edward tonight...what if she changed her mind? What if Bella made the decision to be nice to Edward based solely on the things she heard this morning? There were too many what-if's, and unfortunately Bella couldn't exactly walk up to the girl and ask her to explain her power.

Before she knew it the hour passed and Bella was free.

* * *

"Sweetheart! How was your weekend?" Esme gave her a hug upon entering their home, and Bella, as always, returned it.

"It was wonderful," Bella replied, mentally adding 'aside from blowing up the forest and almost killing two of your vampire kids...oh and almost getting shot by my dad' "And yours?"

Esme brightened. "Full, that's for sure. On top of getting my Edward back, I also got two new orders that need to be finished by later this week."

"Can I-can I do anything to help?" Bella asked tentatively. She loved the hours she spent drawing up plans for furniture design, windows, and even whole blueprints with Esme. She was probably more a burden than any help, but she always tried her best.

"_Can you_? I'm counting on it!" Esme exclaimed, much to Bella's excitement.

"Seriously, Esme?" Emmett thundered in. "You couldn't wait awhile before mentioning that? Now she won't be able to sit still the whole night!"

"Yup!" Esme replied, giving him a look. "That's what you get for not helping me with dinner."

Emmett rolled his eyes, and Bella, mostly because she was watching him very carefully, didn't miss the disgusted crinkle in his nose. Interesting...

"You didn't have to go through all this trouble," she told Esme quietly.

"Sweetheart, it's no trouble at all," said Esme, holding her hand. "It's been awhile since we all sat down at the table together. And this'll be a good chance for you to get to know Edward."

Bella nodded, and looked around for the boy (man) that wanted to "get rid of" her.

"He's downstairs," Emmett said, noticing her inquiring look, "catching up with his girlfriend."

"His piano, that is," Emmett said with a grin.

Bella smiled, but figured she might as well start being nice to the boy (man) now. "Don't mock a musician and his 'lady'," she said. Then she cocked an eyebrow. "At least he knows how to use his fingers."

She didn't hear it herself, but Edward missed a measure of his notes just then and had to stop. Upstairs, Alice and Jasper snorted, and in the living room she heard Rosalie chuckle.

Emmett just grinned recklessly. "Let me tell you what these fingers can-"

"Get that toaster oven, young man!" Esme warned him.

This time, even Edward laughed out loud at Esme's unintentional addition to the joke.

Esme didn't blush, though she glared at Emmett till he cowed.

"Aww man!" Emmett complained, though still with a hint of a grin, "you got me in trouble Bella Bear!"

Bella shrugged and showed him her own evil grin behind Esme's back. "Remember that next time you make a musical joke."

Emmett stuck out his tongue. She responded in kind.

Seriously...these people were all vampires?!

* * *

Two minutes into dinner, it was clear how Bella was supposed to keep from noticing that none of the Cullens actually ate anything. They had her sitting directly in the center of the dining table in such a way that she'd have to swivel in her seat in order to talk to anyone. After every bite she took, someone on her left or on her right would say something and Bella would make sure she gave them her full attention while people on the other side of the table "ate." Out of the corner of her eye she thought she spotted a large napkin, a discreet garbage can under the table, a potted plant...all slowly filling up with food that Bella wasn't supposed to know the Cullens did not tolerate.

At least the conversations were interesting. And somewhat creepy.

Edward would not stop asking her questions. She mentally cheered at first since talking to her was certainly an improvement on wanting to kill her, but the questions got more and more detailed till she was frankly a little uncomfortable. Why on earth did he care so much for the reason behind green being her favorite color? Or how her first and only pet, Piggy the goldfish, had died? Everybody was trying to hint to him to back off, but even Carlisle had to intervene when he started asking her questions about going through puberty and her opinions about premarital sex. Thank god for Carlisle, she thought as she avoided the last question completely while taking an extra long sip of water.

Other than that long stretch of blushing, she enjoyed herself very much. She talked shop with Esme, talked about the latest history bestseller with Jasper, joked around with Alice and Jasper, and even asked Carlisle to tell her a little about his work which he did gladly.

Bella tried not to make it too obvious, but she was avoiding Rosalie. When she talked to Emmett alone, she could almost forget that the two of them were married. But she couldn't apply that to the girl (woman) in question, and she spent a good part of the evening wracked with guilt (as well as the usual Rosalie cocktail of lust and love). She wanted it to be like yesterday. She wanted to talk freely and rest her head on her shoulders as she did last night. But yesterday she was Emmett's girlfriend, as terrible as that itself was. Now she's his wife. Bella felt so powerless as she stared longingly at Rosalie. Even if Edward's bitter words from this morning were the truth and Rosalie did feel something for her, Bella knew it didn't matter anymore.

* * *

Rosalie felt a little guilty for blocking off the exit, especially when she noted Bella's confused and panicked look, but she'd had enough. Rosalie was not one to be ignored yet that was what Bella had done all day. Rosalie couldn't have been more surprised. Last night, Bella most definitely enjoyed the physical contact with her. Her heart raced and she could smell her arousal from every corner of the shed. There was no question that Bella reciprocated at least some of her own feelings for her.

At the moment though, Bella looked like a deer in headlights.

"Hello," Rosalie said, walking towards her.

"Hi," Bella replied. She quickly looked away. They were standing on a large balcony. Rosalie wished for another venue because this one provided too many distractions for the girl. Bella looked intently at everything around her...everything but Rosalie.

"How did you and Emmett meet?" Bella asked suddenly.

Rosalie raised an eyebrow. "He was adopted a couple of years after me."

"No, sorry-I know," Bella stumbled. "I meant...how did you know he was the one?"

Where on earth was this going?

"It took a little while for me to realize it I suppose," Rosalie started, filtering out the vampire bits. "He was the complete opposite of the person I thought I'd be with...but it didn't take long to realize he was exactly right for me. We compliment each other."

"You do," Bella said quietly, looking out at the woods again. "You're lucky to have each other."

Rosalie stood in silence next to her for a few minutes as the reason for Bella's odd behavior dawned on her. Emmett. Bella was thinking of him...she didn't want to come between them. She smiled softly behind the girl's back, though mentally chastised herself. Of course, Bella wasn't just going to leap into her arms-even though she obviously wanted to very much-without question. As far as she knew, Rosalie and Emmett were a regular, typical monogamous couple. Rosalie's features softened as she saw the guilt and sadness stamped on poor Bella's face.

She wanted badly to touch her, but refrained from going any closer. No need to torture the girl. This was going to take some time, she realized.

* * *

**Author's note III: Your reviews sustain me. Please tell me what you think!**


	26. Watching

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

* * *

Unbeknownst to the family, Bella spent the next few weeks watching and listening very carefully, trying to do what she could to understand and in some cases, to help. At first she felt extraordinarily guilty eavesdropping on conversations that she was clearly not supposed to hear. She didn't go out of her way to do it. But the Cullens were used to speaking in front of her and in front of other humans. It certainly was convenient to be able to communicate right in the open without dim human ears listening. Bella saw its appeal...like speaking a secret language that others couldn't understand or even know you were speaking it. Unfortunately, Bella's skill with this aspect of her gift only improved. By the end of the school year, her ears had become so attuned to her friends' whispers that she didn't even need to think about it when she listened. It was automatic now.

Bella learned a great deal using her gift, including her family's approximate true ages. Carlisle was by far the oldest-over 300 years. She almost slipped that time, and barely covered up her reaction when Carlisle cavalierly mentioned meeting King James II. Hearing his age first prepared her for the others', though none of them surprised her as much as Carlisle had. Edward was born in 1901, Rosalie and Emmett in 1915, and Esme sometime in the late 19th century. She didn't catch Jasper's age, but nearly had a heart attack when she learned he fought in the Civil War. That explains his obsession with American history, she thought as she stared at him in awe during class. They were actually talking about the Civil War that day. And Jasper was just sitting there, paying attention to the teacher like everyone else...

She now also knew all about the Volturi, ironically thanks to Edward who despite her efforts at a decent friendship with him continued to whine about their potential discovery and inevitable doom and gloom. Edward and Carlisle had a particularly tense conversation about the Vampire royal family while she helped Esme put away that one morning's dishes. Trying not to let on that she was listening (a ridiculously difficult task, Bella discovered), Bella mulled over what she had learned. Aro, Caius, and Marcus sounded like a nightmare. Someone who could know every thought you've ever had, simply with a touch? Edward seemed particularly terrified of a brother and sister named Jane and Alec. The thought of losing her senses made Bella shiver too, but she had rolled her eyes at Jane's description, especially her power. Feeling like you're on fire? Ha! Welcome to Bella Swan's world. Bet Jane's never felt it herself.

Edward proved to be extremely annoying-not only because of his incessant fears over her humanity but also because of the extremes with which he swung regarding their relationship. He was worse than Rosalie! If she wasn't aware of his exact reasons, Bella probably would've given up ages ago. But as irritating as he was, she couldn't deny the validity of his concerns...concerns that would make sense if she was anyone else. Her scent affected them all, though by the time Edward came back from Denali he was the only one that visibly struggled with it. She tried everything within reason to help. She showered as often as she could. She sat as far away as she could without being rude. She even gave in and let Alice take her shopping, just so she'd have more clothes to wear that didn't smell so much like her all the time. None of it worked. The only thing that made any difference was her brilliant realization that scent traveled by wind. Now that she knew the signs, she could always tell when it was too much for him. His eyes would darken and Bella would subtly shift the heading of the wind so that her scent traveled in a different direction. It didn't necessarily stop his pain, but at least it seemed to halt its rise until he could find an excuse to leave.

Bella really did feel bad for him, and kept trying to befriend him much to his annoyance. She took every opportunity to talk to him...about books, music, anything to get him to warm up to her. She understood that exposure to her would help lessen his uncontrollable hunger for her blood. She assumed that's how the other Cullens, especially Jasper got over wanting to bite her. Her progression with him was a frustrating one step forward, two steps back ordeal. They'd have a pleasant conversation one day, then the next he'd pointedly ignore her. He'd brighten as she expressed a liking for a favorite band of his, then sulk for the remainder of the day, reminding his family that they'd probably kill her before the end of summer. It was all Bella could do not to levitate him into a wall head-first.

If he only knew how many times her knowledge had helped them avoid a sticky situation. Bella understood that their friendship with her was against Vampire customs, and that in fact they had unknowingly already broken the cardinal Vampire law of secrecy. So she did what she could to help them keep their secret. Ignoring their eating habits was just the tip of the iceberg. There was the one time she and Alice went shopping in Port Angeles, and right before they were about to step out of the car the sun came out. Poor Alice was trying to find an excuse to stay in the car a while longer, but Bella solved her problem by exclaiming her sudden need for a bathroom and rushed inside, yelling at Alice to meet her in the store.

There was the time Emmett accidentally broke the xbox controller straight down the middle while they were playing together. Bella heard it of course, but pretended she hadn't and tore his character to pieces while Rosalie discreetly handed him another controller. Rosalie had a similar incident...only it was the bumper of a car that suddenly had a hand-sized dent in it. Bella simply made a show of reading something in the car manual intently, strolling slowly around the garage to give the blonde time to fix her mistake. And the time she, Jasper, and Alice went to Seattle and found themselves in the middle of some parade. Jasper looked ready to pass out from the sheer number of beating hearts and sweaty palms. There was nothing Bella could do about the former (and she was working hard to keep from hyperventilating herself), but that day she was able to divert strong gusts of wind over that section of the city in the opposite direction. It gave Alice enough time to help him into a pharmacy, feigning indigestion.

Countless times, Bella turned a blind eye to all the unusual occurrences that seemed to happen with alarming frequency around the Cullens now that Bella knew what to look for. She couldn't believe that she had gone for so long without knowing. She couldn't believe nobody else in school or in town noticed! But it appeared she really was the only human in Forks aware of their secret.

For all her observations, Bella never realized that she too was carefully being watched.

* * *

Jasper stood about 20 miles from the house, waiting for his wife. They had been meeting here secretly every few days since Edward's return. The rest of the time, the two of them kept their minds shut tight to the irritatingly perceptive boy. These nights away from him were the only times they could relax and think freely.

Rosalie was the one who alerted them to her suspicions regarding Bella, but it was Alice and he who continued to watch. Rosalie was too wrapped up in her feelings for the girl now to be of any help. She was too blinded by her passion for Bella, not that Jasper blamed her. Emmett, ever the trusting and loving kid that he was, was no help from the very start. So it was just him and Alice now who tried without success to figure Bella out.

There were too many irregularities...things that didn't add up.

Bella was supposed to be human, yet her mind was comparable to a vampire's. He watched her closely in the classes they shared. Bella was bored out of her mind in classes, like none of the material was new for her. She read at an astounding speed, faster than even he could when it was something new. And she tried to hide it. She continued her game of tapping out song lyrics in morse (and numerous others) code in between pages. He had looked over her shoulders a few times while writing papers for class...Bella didn't need to refer to her books for accurate quotes. She had them memorized down to the page numbers. Not normal.

She was also too...graceful. He never saw her skate, but his eyes did nearly pop of their sockets when she leaped _way_ too high in order to climb a tree. And she didn't actually exert any effort as she pulled her limbs up the 20-foot climb. She had absolutely no fear of heights. Emmett loved frolicking on rooftops with her, and the few times he had joined the two of them up there during lunch he observed her carefully as she leaped, rolled, and flipped all over the roof. She came precariously close to the edge several times, but it never affected her. Not normal.

The emotions he felt rolling from her were also far too intense. Emotional pain was one thing. Physical pain, apparently caused by an emotion, was something else. Jasper had never experienced the level of pain he sometimes felt from the girl. It was enough to make him, a vampire, cry out in pain. Yet every time he managed to catch sight of Bella during those...episodes...her body revealed nothing. People just don't feel that kind of pain without collapsing. Not normal.

Then there was the deal with her father. Jasper had gone back to Bella's house a few times since the day of the fire to check up on him. Each time, the guilt he forced on him would be severely diminished, replaced by a fierce hatred for Bella. Each time, Jasper would growl and shake his head, and proceed to teach the man another lesson. Jasper wished his ministrations could be permanent but that was not his gift. He wished he could ask Edward to help him understand what was going on in the man's head, but if he did he'd have to explain why, and Edward was the last person in the world they wanted on Bella's case. He was bad enough with her ability to block him. If he learned of what they had observed, they'd all find themselves in Alaska before they knew it. No, it was imperative that Edward be in the dark on this one.

He heard Alice approach and before he knew it, she was standing at his side.

"Hey darling," he said. "Hunt well?"

"Deer," she signed. "Nothing special."

He nodded. Deer is so bland. More like tofu...it satiated their hunger, but boy it was nothing like a good bear.

"Well?" He asked, unable to hide his curiosity any longer. "Did you find anything?"

"Oh yes I did," she said with a glint.

Jasper waited, noticing her eyes glazing a few times. She was probably searching for the best way to tell him, he thought, rolling his eyes. She really needed to stop relying so heavily on her gift.

"I called children's welfare agencies, the Phoenix police and fire departments, every county records office in Pennsylvania, Charlie's old boss and coworkers, dozens of elementary and middle schools, and every Carol Higginbotham in the tri-state area. If I didn't come away with something, dear husband, I would've eaten somebody."

Jasper sighed. He knew how to handle his wife.

"Darling, you are a goddess. A miracle for all the ages," he said and bowed to her.

"Thank you," she smiled smugly and curtsied.

"Now, will you please tell me what you learned?" He hated to beg but the suspense was killing him.

Alice sighed dramatically.

"The fire occurred on September 13, 2005. It was Bella's 9th birthday. The fire chief said it was the worst and craziest fire he had ever seen. They weren't able to put it out until dawn, and by then most of the housing development was burnt to the ground. Jazz, he sent me some news reports and pictures from that day...the damage looks very similar to what happened here."

Jazz was silent, taking it all in.

"What else did you find out?" He asked quietly.

"To be honest, not much. Charlie's old co-workers remember him saying he'd sent his daughter to live with an aunt, that the trauma was too much for Bella and that she needed a new environment. He left for Forks not long after that."

"I called dozens of records offices and schools in Bradford county," she continued. "There's no record of an Isabella Swan attending any school or being part of any kind of organization. I called surrounding counties to be sure. Nothing. Bella Swan, born in 1996, has never-according to the records anyway-attended school or joined the girl scouts or so much as gotten a library card in the state of Pennsylvania."

Alice paused, and Jasper sensed there was more.

"But that's not the most disturbing thing," she started. "I went through the Bradford county phone book, then every other PA county phone book...there's not a single Carol Higginbotham in Pennsylvania who knows a Bella Swan. I spent an absurd amount of time online, searching the library's databases. And I found this."

She handed him a printout of an old newspaper article, dating from 1991. It was an obituary.

He silently read it. 'Carol Higginbotham, age 19, died June 2, 1991, as a result of injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident. She is survived by her mother, Marie, and her younger sister, Renee...'

Jasper looked at his wife, who was watching him carefully.

"Now what do we do?" he asked.

* * *

**Author's note: All the humans in this are 9 years younger. Bella was born in 1996. Renee was born in 1977. And so on. **


	27. Duet

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.

* * *

"Bella!" She heard Esme shout her name from her office. "Thank god! Get in here!"

Bella grinned as she shut the front door behind her and wiped her rainy boots on the mat. She was slowly gaining confidence in her own design skills thanks to Esme's tutelage, but Bella still felt like Esme was humoring her some of the time. Hearing the relief in Esme's voice however, made her feel like she might actually be contributing to her work. She darted down the side hallway to Esme's office as soon she was inside only to find the woman standing in the middle of-well, what _used to_ be her office.

"Um, is this the right house?" Bella asked slowly. Esme's office was never anything but impeccable, but this room barely qualified for a room.

"Ha ha," she said, frowning. "Mrs. Bryant is driving me crazy! I have done dozens of models for her. Dozens! It's only a bed for god's sake! I swear if she criticizes the next one I'll bite her!"

Bella giggled and pretended not to see Esme's panicked face at her slip up. Hell, she wouldn't mind biting a few people herself.

"How can I help?" she asked, eager to assist but highly doubtful she'd make any impact.

Esme sighed. "I've read her emails more times than I care to count. I can't look at them anymore. Would you go through them, see if there's something in her descriptions of what she wants that I'm missing?"

Bella nodded, sitting down at the computer while Esme separated the designs and models into a discernible pattern. Wow, Bella thought as she scrolled through a total of 62 email messages between Mrs. Bryant and Esme. The client's thoughts were all over the place, like she had a strong sense of what she wanted but just couldn't put it into words. The attachments with Esme's designs reflected each email's discussion...but they were never exactly what Mrs. Bryant wanted.

One word caught Bella's attention though: sinewy. Soon after, she noticed a smattering of other highly specific descriptors scattered all over the messages...cascade, flow, and ripple among them. Why not, she thought, and started to draw.

"Bella, what on earth is that?" Esme asked, staring at the paper in her hands. Bella looked up from the task that had engrossed her for the better part of 45 minutes.

"An idea," she said. "Mrs. Bryant likes Tolkien. I've seen her renew the Fellowship of the Ring twice in the library. The way she was trying to describe what she wanted...I dunno, it reminded me of Rivendell."

"Er..." Esme looked at her drawing with confusion.

"You've...never read Lord of the Rings?" She asked her.

Esme shook her head, looking a little abashed.

Seriously? Bella thought...what else was there to do when you're immortal?

"Well...I think she wants to wake up and forget that she's indoors. The bed should resemble a tree that's never been trimmed, or rather, its roots. They should flow down from above the bed to all the sides..."

Bella explained her thought process and each feature of the crazy bed she had sketched, while Esme listened carefully.

"Ok, sweetheart," Esme said, after scanning her drawing, "I'll send it to Mrs. Bryant. Don't feel let down if she doesn't take to it though. God knows she hated all my stuff."

Bella nodded.

Esme smiled softly, and surprised her by kissing her gingerly on the forehead. "I'm very proud of you," she said.

Bella blushed, and for the thousandth time she thanked god, fate, whomever for allowing her the chance to be part of this incredible family's lives.

* * *

"Hello?"

Bella walked up the stairs to the main level of the house, looking for any sign of human, er-vampire life.

"In here."

Bella's heart skipped a beat. It was Rosalie. Breathe.

Since she had found out their secret, and more importantly since she learned the object of her affections was happily married to her best friend, Bella put a stop to every temptation within reach. She avoided sitting directly next to her. She fought to keep her gaze level with her eyes, and never faltered when she looked at her despite the tempest that always raged inside her. She didn't think they actually physically touched at all in weeks. Rosalie, if she even noticed Bella's drastic measures, did not comment. She went along with all of her new unspoken rules without so much as batting an eye.

The only thing Bella could not bring herself to do was stop talking outright to Rosalie. Just the idea would sent her into a panic attack. Rosalie's voice was a drug Bella could not live without, and so she made up for her austere measures by indulging in that drug as often and for as long as she could. And so over these last weeks, Bella and Rosalie's relationship grew stronger through endless conversations and, when one of them thought the other wasn't looking, through hard and longing stares. She had come to her shed frequently, but after the first night together they never again left the gnarly couch, let alone shared a bed. As much as everything in Bella screamed at her to, she knew if she ever touched her again while feeling this way she'd lose control. Bella was grateful Edward couldn't read her, because even though things with Rosalie were frustratingly G-rated, her thoughts were anything but. All Rosalie had to do was enter the room for Bella to feel a most pleasant and distracting stirring deep inside her. She hoped beyond hope that she was masking her emotions well enough to fool Jasper, but she could never be sure. Thankfully, she never heard him whisper anything about it.

Bella steeled herself, and entered the living room.

Her breath caught in her throat, but for once it wasn't Rosalie's doing. There was a new addition to the Cullens' living room...a gleaming white piano. Bella narrowed her eyes. They didn't...did they? Surely they wouldn't spend this kind of fortune on something so blatantly for her benefit?

Bella decided to play it cool and sauntered over to sit on an armchair opposite of Rosalie, who was looking at her intently as she always did. Suddenly she let out a small laugh (Beautiful, Bella thought) and raised an eyebrow.

"You're not fooling me little girl," she said. "I'd rather you get it over with and get it out of your system now. I won't have you ignoring me."

Bella frowned mockingly. "Am I that obvious?"

Rosalie looked at her hard for a moment. "Yes, you are."

Bella gulped but held her gaze, ignoring the double entendre.

"Any requests?" She asked and started to walk over to the baby grand.

"Actually, how about a duet?" Rosalie replied.

Bella whipped her head to stare at her. "You play?" She asked. How had she not known that?

"Yes. Not like you though," Rosalie laughed. "But I was talking about the violin."

Seriously, how had she not known that? Bella shook her head and sat down in front of the piano while she waited for Rosalie to bring her instrument. She ran her hands over the keys, trying not to imagine how Rosalie would look as she played. If the ache developing in her core was any indication, this was going to be a very long afternoon.

Rosalie came back, and Bella kept her head down while she helped her get in tune. Please, please stand behind me, she silently begged her. Please stand behind me, and far, far away. As if she could hear her thoughts, Rosalie, in her usual mocking fashion glided to stand a few feet in front of the piano's curve...directly in Bella's sights. Fuck...

"Your wish is my command," Bella said, bowing in her seat.

Even with months of practice under her belt now, Bella still melted from Rosalie's killer gaze. But she'd had lots of practice keeping her face neutral, so outwardly, Bella just stared back and waited.

"Canon in D," she said, and waited for her to start.

Bella resisted the urge to roll her eyes, remembering that Rosalie didn't know the extent of her musical repertoire. Canon in D was a good song to throw out there because any semi-serious musician would know it. Bella's official musical schooling ended at 9, but even then it seemed that every book she'd studied had some version of the song. Ok Rosalie, she thought. Let's see what you can do. And she began to play the intro.

Rosalie came in about 20 seconds later, and Bella smiled at the perfection she heard. She stole a glance her way and immediately wished she hadn't. Bella's fingers were on auto-pilot but her eyes stayed trained on the other girl and didn't leave her body till the end of the song. The precision of her wrist...the agility of her fingers...the smoothness of her strokes...the way her hair fell on her shoulders as her body shifted with each movement of her bow...Bella's eyes never grew tired. Every inch of Rosalie's body ignited a fire in her own...a fire very different from what she was accustomed to.

Bella never took her eyes off of Rosalie, even as she played the final chords. The blonde lowered her instrument and stared back.

Shit, speak. Say something.

Bella cleared her throat. "You've been holding out on me," she said.

Rosalie's expression softened somewhat, and a ghost of a smile appeared on her face.

"Yes...but I don't think I will anymore."

What the hell did she mean by that? Before she had time for another thought, Rosalie was suddenly sitting right next to her. Oh god. Oh god, Oh god.

She quickly moved over to her left a few inches, and tried to order the right side of her body to stop buzzing. A second later though she stopped breathing altogether, because Rosalie was holding her right hand. Bella froze. Even her heart seemed to stop beating in her chest momentarily before it tripled in speed.

"Let's see if you can play...under pressure," Rosalie said softly.

And then she leaned closer and whispered the name of a song in her ear...and Bella's eyes rolled into the back of her head when she felt the girl's lips on her ear.

"Ready?" Rosalie asked.

Huh? Ready for what? Her mind was still on Rosalie's lips.

"Hmm?" She asked, dazed.

Rosalie smiled that goddamn half smile again. "Habanera, Bella. Are you ready?"

Bella could only nod. Rosalie set her burning hand down on the board, adding to her torture by maneuvering each of her fingers onto the correct key. Bella took a deep unsteady breath and, when Rosalie nodded to her, began to play.

Bella had never done a 4-hand variation on anything since, obviously, she had no one with which to play. The novelty of it kept her focused at first. The whole thing was an improvisation for her which she had to admit was pretty fun. Except this fun was going to give her a heart attack. Bella hadn't been this close to Rosalie in weeks. She could _feel_ her body next to her. She could feel her hips swaying. Her shoulder kept bumping into hers. Her arm kept grazing Bella's. She was doing it on purpose, Bella knew. Otherwise she would've stopped long ago to at least inquire about her racing heart and trembling legs. She knew Rosalie could hear her. Hell she could probably smell her arousal-it was that strong. Breathe, Bella. Fuck, she smells amazing. Ok, don't breathe. Shit, that's not gonna work.

Bella was physically exhausted when they finished the song-not from playing but from working so hard to keep herself from leaning into Rosalie...from grabbing her hands...from pushing her onto the piano and kissing her until neither of them could breathe. If Jasper could feel her now...

She kept her eyes shut after the last notes died off. She was afraid of what she would see, but more afraid of what she might do if she saw it. Bella's control was finite, and she was grasping at the last of it. She tried to focus on the rain outside but could barely hear it over her thundering heart.

She whimpered softly when, without warning, she felt Rosalie's hand on her cheek...her thumb softly stroking her flesh.

"Bella, open your eyes," Rosalie said.

Bella complied, and inhaled deeply when she looked up at Rosalie. Bella thought she might cry. She had seen small hints of this over the weeks, ever since the night at the music hall. This...this was the whole shebang. This was everything Rosalie could show her in a glance, everything her eyes could communicate about how she felt. Any doubts Bella may have had about this terrible situation being one-sided were promptly thrown out the window.

Bella's heart somersaulted in her chest when she realized Rosalie's gaze had shifted to her lips.

She released a ragged breath, and watched Rosalie slowly lean forward, while her stomach coiled around itself painfully.

Outside, a tree exploded.

* * *

**Author's note: I feel so evil. Punish me in the reviews :P**


	28. Recognition

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

**Author's note: If you care, these are the exact recordings that inspired last chapter's musical numbers. Canon: Youtube this exact phrase "Brian Crain - Canon in D (piano and violin)"**

**Habanera: Youtube this exact phrase "Bizet Habanera from Opera "Carmen" (Piano 4-Hands)"**

* * *

_Bella's heart somersaulted in her chest when she realized Rosalie's gaze had shifted to her lips._

_She released a ragged breath, and watched Rosalie slowly lean forward, while her stomach coiled around itself painfully._

_Outside, a tree exploded._

Rosalie froze. Bella went into hyperdrive.

Keeping her eyes screwed shut, Bella slithered out of her seat by Rosalie and bolted to the front door, relying on her memory of the house's layout to guide her.

She expected Rosalie to come after her or shout for her to stop but she didn't. Within seconds of the explosion, Bella was pedaling as fast as she could away, far away from the house and the mangled tree.

* * *

Rosalie remained in her seat, still as a statue long after Bella had disappeared. She kept her eyes trained on the empty spot next to her and took a few deep breaths more out of habit than out of necessity. What. Just. Happened?

She rose from her stupor like a zombie and walked to the nearest window where she got her first view of what had made that terrible noise. It used to be a tree. It used to be a tall, straight, proud tree on the edge of the woods, very close to the house. An eerie feeling overtook her as she inspected what had become of it. The trunk, formerly 3 feet in diameter, looked like someone had set off dynamite inside of it. It was missing all its leaves. And it was charred black as coal.

She stood rooted to her spot, and may have easily remained there for hours were it not for Esme poking her head from her office.

"What was that noise, Rose?" She shouted.

"Lightning strike," Rosalie replied without hesitation. Then, before Esme could make any further inquiries, she darted out the door and, in the pouring rain, she pulverized the tree till nothing remained but the still smoldering core of the trunk.

* * *

Alice huffed in annoyance at the stack of phone books in front of her. It was during times like this that she couldn't wait for computers to make these damn things obsolete once for all. It was happening, but it was happening far too slowly for her. She needed it to happen yesterday, or rather before she got the brilliant idea of tracking down Bella's old teachers. Ugh.

"Hi there. I found another one for ya," a young librarian grinned and handed her a thick yet flimsy phone book. He looked way too happy. Hmm. Maybe she should dial down the charm.

"Thank you very much," she said politely. Shoo, she thought, and sighed as she flipped through the book to the page the man had marked for her.

She waited through the ringing impatiently.

"Hello?" A female voice on the other end answered.

"Hello, ma'am. I'm Alice Webber," she recited her speech for the hundredth time that day. "I work for the Washington State Department of Children and Families. Please forgive my intrusion on your day. I'm hoping I have the correct Julie Cross. You see I have a case here involving a young woman whom I believe you once taught in the second grade. This is quite some time back. Tell me, do you recall a girl named Isabella Swan? She may have gone by Bella."

The woman was silent for a moment. "Yes," Julie said. "I remember her."

Alice sat up straighter in her seat. Finally! Now for the next part of her speech, the one she had yet to perform.

"That's a relief," she said, sighing dramatically. "I'm so glad to finally find someone. I'm in a bit of a bind here actually. There have been some...strange...notes on the girl's records, and they're severely hampering my ability to place her with a family. To be honest, I'm having a difficult time believing some of these...claims, and I've been trying to locate anyone who knew Ms. Swan and who could perhaps shed some light on the matter."

Again, an unbearable pause.

"How did her folks die?" Julie asked.

Alice raised an eyebrow. "A fire," she responded, not bothering to explain that only one parent was deceased.

"Figures," Julie sighed and continued, "I don't think you should put that girl with a family, Ms. Webber. In fact I think you should lock her up if you can."

40 minutes later, Alice hung up. Before she could reflect on the things Bella's teacher had told her, her phone rang.

"Hello?" She answered.

"I've been trying to call you for an hour." It was Rosalie.

"Sorry, Rose," she said. "I was on the phone. What is it?"

"It's Bella. I need your help. How fast can you get here?"

* * *

Charlie sighed in relief when the firefighters gave him the OK signal. They'd gotten everyone out of the store. For a few minutes he'd feared the worst. It took the fire chief and two members of his crew so long to find the last little boy. But he was safe in the ambulance now, hooked up to an oxygen tank and holding his sobbing mother's hand.

As usual when he found himself in a situation like this, his thoughts turned to that awful night seven and a half years ago. Unlike now, no amount of jetting water was able to put that fire out. He remembered watching in fascination, the part of him that knew he had a wife and daughter inside the flames almost completely disconnected, as the flames actively fought back any attempt at containment. It was as if the fire was a wild creature that refused to give up its newfound freedom. It could have-would have been beautiful if it wasn't so devastating.

Even then, thinking of his wife and daughter perishing inside, the suspicion remained in his heart. He had long feared the worst from his daughter...could it get any worse than that?

Charlie winced out of reflex when he thought of his daughter. But his emotions did not torture him tonight as they had on many occasions since he-since _she_ had lost control. He glanced back at the receding fire in Newton's sporting goods store and thought of his wife...his beautiful, wonderful wife. She refused to heed his warnings. She refused to listen to his pleadings. All of Bella's life, he tried to be a good father but there is only so much a parent can do. Whatever was wrong with Bella...it was a sickness that neither he nor Renée were fit to cure.

He closed his eyes, overcome by a deep sadness for the life he had lost and the life he was now doomed to live. Would his life forever be dictated by these flames? Leaning against his cruiser's doors, he asked himself again...would he always be at the fire's mercy? When the time came, and he knew that it must come, would he have the courage to do what should've been done years ago? Would he be able to extinguish the monstrous flames that have already taken his wife and daughter from him?

It was the bike that caught his attention. He stared at it for a moment, then fear gripped at his heart. Bella. No, he gasped as he looked back at the smoldering flames behind him. He squinted in the hazy light and sure enough, there she was. She was standing still as a statue on a corner sidewalk about 20 yards away. And she was staring, his stomach plummeted as he realized, at the fire in the store. She was staring at it intently, almost...hungrily.

Automatically, he reached for his gun and turned off the safety, then stalked toward the monster.

* * *

Bella gripped the handlebars of her bike so tightly they were in danger of breaking off. The flames...they were so beautiful. She hated _that_ the most...that she loved that awful and destructive thing. But it was _so_ lovely. She was always drawn to fire. For as long as she could remember, fire took her breath away...even before it took her life. As a little girl she loved that the colors kept changing. She loved the fire's playful dance, its teasing sparks, and its warm touch. Touching the flames, as she often did when she was little and long before she understood its danger to normal people, was like being wrapped in a favorite blanket.

Even now, after everything she'd been through, fire still had a way of enthralling her. She gazed longingly at the waning flames and wished she could enter its warm embrace. It would be almost as exquisite as Rosalie's. Away from her burning gaze, Bella allowed herself a moment to think about what had transpired in the living room with Rosalie. Mostly she thought of the unspoken yet palpable message in Rosalie's eyes. She closed her own eyes, not wanting anything, not even the flames to interrupt her visions. If she had to go blind she would ask only for the chance to see Rosalie's face one more time looking as she looked at her today.

God, she wanted her. Bella's heart, her soul, her very being yearned for Rosalie in a manner beyond description. She still couldn't believe nor understand the glow that ran through her body whenever they were physically close to each other. If the flames made her feel safe and secure, Rosalie's blazing touch made her feel...like she was home at last.

She's not yours. She'll never be yours. Even if Rosalie wanted her too, something Bella did not doubt now, she knew she'd never acquiesce. She could not hurt Emmett like that. Rosalie might be able to live with it, but Bella could not. She would have to find a way to be content with merely looking at her wondrous body and listening to her melodic voice.

Her voice...

She was...she was right here, calling her name. Rosalie was walking fast in her direction from her right, Alice trailing behind, and she was calling her name. Bella smiled happily before starting to panic. The tree...

But Rosalie looked panicked as well. She was walking faster now and looking at something behind Bella.

Bella turned to her left. Her heart fell. Charlie was coming her way too...and he did not look amicable. In fact, his hand was resting lightly on his holstered gun. Oh no.

He couldn't. He wouldn't! Not here in front of all these people. Not in front of Rosalie and Alice. Like a train, it hit her that her dying tonight would not be the worst outcome that she had to prevent. No...because if she knew Alice and Rosalie, she knew they'd do something drastic... something that could force the Cullens to blow their precarious cover. She couldn't let that happen.

Bella immediately stamped down her rising emotions and turned to face her father.

"Hello Charlie," she said.

Her hopes fell when he snarled his greeting. Bella didn't understand. Why was he so angry?

"_What_ do you think you're doing?" He asked her through gritted teeth. His hand was still lightly touching his gun. It was in its holster but the latch, she noted, was unclasped.

"I'm not doing anything, Charlie," she said slowly. "I'm just meeting my friends."

Alice and Rosalie were upon them now. She hoped Charlie couldn't hear Rosalie's growls.

He looked at the two women flanking her then turned his sharp gaze back to Bella.

"Did you have something to do with this?" He asked and looked at what was left of the burning building.

Understanding crossed Bella's face. That's why...

"No," she sighed with relief. "I just got here."

"You're lying!" He nearly shouted and stepped closer. "I saw you. I saw you with that...look. _I saw you!_"

Once again in less than two months, Charlie moved for his gun.

She heard the strangled hissing on both sides of her. Bella knew she had to act fast before something irreversible occurred. She grabbed Alice and Rosalie and stepped forward while pushing the two of them behind her. As soon as she was sure they couldn't see her face, Bella focused her gaze on Charlie's weapon. Before he managed to fully remove it from his holster, the magazine clip fell from the gun, strewing bullets all over the sidewalk. For good measure Bella helped the bullets roll into the nearest storm drain.

Charlie stared at his gun. Bella stared at Charlie. Behind her, Rosalie and Alice stared at Bella.

Charlie broke the spell first. He glared at Bella with terrified and angry eyes then turned on his heels and stormed to his car.

Instead of feeling relieved as his cruiser took off like she thought she would, Bella felt overcome. Those few minutes of tension, Alice's and Rosalie's presence, the energy that still remained locked in her body that hadn't been satisfied with merely one tree's destruction, and especially this afternoon by Rosalie's side...it all suddenly weighed very heavily on Bella's psyche. She could feel the rumbling in her chest and the coils moving in her stomach. She shook in fear. No...

"It's ok, Bells," she heard Alice say. "I understand."

What was she talking about? Alice slinked to her side and grabbed her arm until she faced her.

"Go. Do what you need to do," she said. "Come back to the house when you're ready. We'll be waiting."

* * *

**Author's note: Review notifications make the best morning alarm. **


	29. Memories

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

**Author's note I: There's a song called "My Skin" by Natalie Merchant that I listened to a lot while writing this chapter. My interpretation for it in regards to this story...I imagine Bella's the one singing to her parents saying**

**"I've been treated so wrong  
I've been treated so long  
As if I'm becoming untouchable  
I'm the slow dying flower  
In the frost killing hour  
Sweet turning sour and untouchable"**

* * *

The house looked quiet and perfectly still but Bella wasn't fooled. She knew they were all inside waiting. Twelve hours had passed since she ran from Alice and Rosalie in town. In that time she had run over 50 miles northwest to Makah Bay, chosen the most deserted looking site, and unleashed everything she had. It was the only preparation she could think to do for today.

Just to be safe though, she stopped a few dozen yards from the house. She would go no further.

"I'm outside," she said. "This can't be done indoors."

The breeze Bella called carried her words right to the Cullens' ears. She knew she didn't actually need to do that-that their vampire senses could hear her without any extra effort on her part. But as far as the Cullens knew their secret was still safe. It was her cat that was out of the bag, not theirs.

She sat down against a tree, her arms tightly wound around her knees, and waited.

* * *

One by one, they appeared. Alice and Jasper in the lead, followed by Rosalie, Emmett, Esme and Carlisle, and Edward in the rear. Bella smiled slightly at Alice who promptly sat down on the ground close to her, indicating her support. Jasper followed suit. Bella hoped they'd feel the same way when she was through explaining. The rest of the family remained on their feet.

Bella's heart was pounding. She kept her head down and stared at the grass at her feet, truly at a loss for how to start. She remained like this, her mouth occasionally opening then closing shut again for several long minutes.

"Bella," she heard Carlisle warmly say. "Perhaps you should just start from the beginning."

She looked up at him, for the first time seeing his and the rest of the family's facial expressions. He was smiling gently, as was Esme. Emmett as always looked at her like she was the best thing since the first Atari. Rosalie...she could not read her. But she stood firmly holding her husband's hand while her gaze held hers unwaveringly. Edward looked bored.

The beginning...when was that? How does someone recall their first word? Or the first time they ate chocolate? This...thing was as much a part of her as any organ.

"What exactly do you know?" She asked, hoping for a clue but also, if she were to be honest with herself, to stall for time.

"Not a thing, Bella," Alice answered her. "Jazz and I have been digging, and I've been looking more closely. But they don't know a thing. I thought it'd be best for you to explain."

Bella nodded. "I don't remember...exactly how things started. I've heard bits and pieces from my parents when they thought I wasn't listening though. I know they started to notice something when I was 2 or 3."

She swallowed hard as she recalled memories she had long kept buried.

"There were some small things," she continued. "I'd grab a hot pot or spoon and it wouldn't bother me. I'd barely notice the temperature if my milk was heated too hot. I could walk on pavement on the hottest days without feeling any pain. Those kinds of things. They didn't happen often, and it was easy for them to ignore it thinking it was their imagination."

She took a deep breath and carried on. "Sometime when I was four, something happened that they couldn't pretend had not. My mom was in the kitchen, and I was tall enough to reach the stove. She walked out to answer the phone...and I think...no I'm sure that was the first time I saw the flames."

Bella closed her eyes, remembering this day through her own eyes. "It was so beautiful. I couldn't take my eyes off of it. Nobody told me that fire was bad. I remember thinking I'd just found the best toy ever...so I went and...played with it."

Her eyes glistened as she thought of her mother. "Mom came in and saw the knobs turned all the way up...and she saw me with my hands in the fire, laughing."

She stopped, remembering how horrified her mother had looked. She screamed, ran for Bella and pulled her from the fire. She had tears running down her face and Bella had tried to wipe them away, but Renee shuddered at her touch. From then on, she would always hesitate before touching Bella. Another deep breath.

"She didn't tell Charlie right away. She sat me down and explained how dangerous it was, the fire, and how badly I could've gotten hurt. It didn't make any sense to me, but I promised her anyway that I would never do that again."

She did do it again, though. Many, many times. It was impossible to resist. Every fire she saw from that point on was a dear friend to Bella. No two blazes were alike. Each had its characteristics...its own distinct color, its own dance, its own flavor. And they welcomed her as she welcomed them. They were the only companions aside from her mother and father that she had. Everyone else had already shunned her by the time she started school. Even her mother and father, though they tried very hard to love her unconditionally, kept her at an arm's length.

"I couldn't keep my word though," she summarized. "It, or something like it happened again and again. And it got worse when I started school. It wasn't easy for me...other kids, teachers...they were much more difficult for me to deal with than fire. I struggled a lot. And it made fighting the urge...more difficult."

They didn't need to know just how bad it was for her. The stories and the rumors about her traveled from parent to parent, child to child, teacher to teacher. Whereas the first day of school for most children was a chance to begin anew, for Bella it was and would always be the same torture. It was amazing how many different groups of kids hated her. It wasn't just the rich, popular kids and the outright bullies who found pleasure in tormenting her. The smart kids, the quiet ones, the kids who volunteered after school, the kids with two dads and a cat...all of them united in making her life hell. The best days were when she made it home without speaking or being spoken to all day. On the worst days, she'd come home with a bruised body, ripped clothes, and shredded books. After she had been on her own for a few years, she started to wonder if maybe things might have gotten better if she'd stayed a bit longer. But Bella knew now that it was just the loneliness thinking for her. If she had spent seven years in that state of mind with those people...she was sure they would've killed her. Or more likely, she would've killed them.

"I messed up a lot. By second grade I could make sparks fly from anything. It would happen without me even thinking about it. By the end of the school year I could create small flames. They suspended me the last week of school for it. Willful arson, they called it..."

That summer, Charlie stopped taking her to play ball on the weekends. Renee no longer insisted that she try a few weeks of day camp. And Bella...she spent those long days playing her piano or wrapped up inside her ever strengthening security blanket. She taught herself enough self control that she thought she could get through each day without impulsively producing any fires. As long as she could make the time each day to do it when no one was looking...

She closed her eyes, knowing the next part of her story would break her. Alice, seemingly aware of her thoughts, gently laid a hand on hers.

"Your ninth birthday..." she said and looked at her carefully.

Bella nodded and stared blankly at the grass in front of her, aware that her eyes were already brimming with tears.

"There were only a couple of guests that night, a close friend of Charlie's and his wife," she said. Bella had no friends to invite. "I was being good. Being normal. After dinner Charlie left to get more beer."

Alice squeezed her hand, and Bella's breathing sped up.

"I don't remember what we argued about," she lied. "I was very upset though, more upset than I'd ever been before."

The tears were freely sliding down her face, which was contorted in anguish. Jasper let out a soft whimper. She felt him trying to send a wave of calm in her direction, but she was too far gone for that to have any effect.

"Something...shifted," she whispered. "Deep inside. That's the only way I can think to describe it. And then...it all came out. I didn't know how to stop it. It felt like it was pouring out of me...but it happened much faster than that. One second, my mother was standing in front of me. The next...she was gone. So was the house. So was half the neighborhood."

Bella shut her eyes and tried to stem the rolling sobs that were starting to build, knowing it was no use. For the next few minutes the only sounds to be heard in that part of the woods were Bella's uncontrollable crying.

* * *

Each of the Cullens stood perfectly still, eyes trained on the young girl. Jasper focused his abilities on them since anything-anything was more bearable than Bella's current emotions. He felt nothing but sadness and love from Esme, nothing he didn't expect. Carlisle, while also deeply moved by Bella's story, felt a burning curiosity. He could tell his father was itching to start asking her questions. Jasper caught his eyes and shook his head. Behind them, Edward still hadn't moved on from disbelief. Emmett, ever the shining knight whenever it came to his Bella Bear, felt a surge of protectiveness for her. He wished he could find a way to make Bella's pain recede...he hated seeing her like this. But he was also torn between his emotions for Bella and for his wife. He cast her furtive glances and quickly looked away. Jasper knew why. He winced as he focused his gift on the blonde. Rosalie felt a cold rage...rage against the fire that had mutilated Bella so, rage against her mother for not trying hard enough, rage against her father for abandoning her at her hour of need. But she felt a betrayal too...against Alice and Jasper for knowing what they knew, and against Bella herself for keeping this from her.

Alice, who was sitting partly behind Bella in order to offer a half embrace, held her hand again when her sobs died down and said, "you didn't live with your aunt."

"No," Bella shook her head. "I don't have any aunts."

"Where did you live, Bella?" Esme spoke up.

Bella looked up for the first time. Jasper sighed in relief that it was Esme's loving face that Bella saw first.

"Nowhere," she replied. "Everywhere."

She looked down again quickly. It took them a second to realize what she was saying. This time Jasper felt the shocked disbelief from all of them.

"This is dangerous," Edward hissed softly. They all, minus Bella of course, surreptitiously glared at him.

He continued though, undeterred. "If any of this is even true, then we are in the most serious trouble of our lives. She has the power to end us! And she obviously has no control over it!"

"Edward," Rosalie started, "So help me god, if you don't shut up right this second_ I_ will be the one to end you."

"Dude forget it," Emmett said, staring incredulously at his brother. "We're not leaving her. It's not up for negotiation."

"I'm sorry Edward," Jasper said. "But I won't leave her at her father's mercy."

"Actually, Edward may have a point," Carlisle said. He grimaced at the soft hisses, including one from his wife, sent his way. "Not for our safety but for hers. Her proximity to us _does_ put her at a higher risk with the Volturi. And I fear to think what Aro would do if he finds a gifted person such as Bella. He would stop at nothing to acquire her."

"And in the meantime, she's one emotional meltdown away from blowing us up." Edward looked at his father and siblings like they were crazy. "You saw the damage out there. If Alice and Jasper were any closer they may very well have perished."

* * *

Bella closed her eyes and wished she could block this out. She was touched by her friends' steadfast defence...but deeply hurt that Carlisle was considering Edward's words. He didn't sound concerned at all. Was it because he had lived for so long that he didn't recognize the depth of Bella's feelings for him? She had thought...a man like him who would "adopt" these "kids"...who had built his family so carefully over the course of a century...she thought that maybe, just maybe a man like that might someday love her as he loved his other kids.

This was going to change everything, she thought sadly. The tears were in danger of returning. The worst thing was that deep in her heart she knew Edward, and Carlisle too, were right. Aro sounded like a collector. He would want her, and he would make sure he got her no matter who stood in his way. Alice, Rosalie, Jasper, Emmett, Esme...they would stand between her and any danger...and they'd perish for her, either by the Volturi's hand or her own. She had to protect them somehow. There had to be a way.

Next to her, Alice stiffened and gasped loudly. Bella jerked in surprise and glanced at her...only to find horrified shock etched in her golden eyes as the girl stared her down wordlessly.

Bella understood what that meant. Alice had seen what she'd just made up her mind to say...what she'd made up her mind to do.

She took a deep breath, rose to her feet, and looked at each of them..saving Rosalie for last.

"Edward's right," she said as she looked longingly into Rosalie's eyes. "Fire is the one thing that can end your existence. I'm too dangerous to remain with you."

* * *

**As always, your reviews keep my heart going! Tell me what you think!**


	30. Revelations

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

**Author's Note: Sorry this is late. I had Valentine's Day obligations on Thursday, and I got home so late last night I fell asleep writing. This chapter and the last have been seriously emotionally draining for me. I'm tuckered out.**

* * *

The seconds ticked by in absolute silence. Around Bella, the Cullens were frozen still, staring at her. Bella's eyes remained on Rosalie, whose own face was finally starting to betray the horror that was creeping over her.

"Bella, what are you saying?" Carlisle asked her slowly.

She finally tore her gaze from Rosalie's. Alice and Jasper rose and stood together to the side. They too were staring at her in shock.

Bella sighed. "I know...everything. I know what you are."

"You know...HOW?" Edward hissed.

She looked at him. "By accident," she said. "Two days after you came back from Denali...that's when I found out."

"That was almost two months ago..." Jasper whispered.

"I don't get it Bells. What did we do? How did you find out?" Emmett asked.

"You did nothing," Bella said firmly. "None of you did anything that led me on. It wasn't like that. It was..."

This power was far more difficult to explain. Really, it sounded ridiculous when Bella tried to come up with the words.

"Fire isn't the only...talent I have," she explained. "I can...manipulate wind. I don't understand it, but it allows me to parse through a lot more noise than other people can handle or comprehend. I can hear you. When you speak too low and fast for humans to hear, I can hear you. That's how I know. That morning in the school parking lot...after Edward came back...you were arguing about...me... and I heard everything. I'm sorry, truly. It wasn't intentional. I didn't know I could even do that. And ever since...I tried to step out of the room when you'd speak like that to avoid listening...but you did it so often. I couldn't help it. I didn't say anything so you wouldn't get in trouble with the Volturi."

She looked down again...anything to avoid Rosalie's horrified gaze.

"All this time," Alice whispered. "You knew. You came to our house, napped in my car, spent countless hours with us, alone. You must have heard how your scent affects us. That we had to restrain Edward to stop him from killing you. This never bothered you?!"

Bella looked up in confusion, and saw that Alice's bewildered expression was mirrored on all the of the Cullens' faces. Her heart fell in understanding. They don't get it, she thought. They haven't grasped the magnitude of what Bella had told them.

Her heart hammered in her chest and her fists tightened. Tell them everything, she thought.

"How many times have you lost control?" She asked, looking at Alice sadly. "Since you became...vegetarian...how many times have you taken a life because you couldn't control your thirst?"

Alice, for the first time since she'd known her, looked helplessly small. She shrank back into Jasper's arms.

"Two," she whispered.

Bella looked at Jasper. "Four," he said.

One by one, each of them quietly revealed to Bella how many innocent lives they'd taken. With the exception of Carlisle and Edward, all of them had erred since vowing never to drink human blood. She counted a death toll of 12.

She took in a harsh breath and fought to control her emotions, which were struggling and distressed with what she was about to reveal.

"That night," she said softly, referring to her 9th birthday, "328 people were killed. More than a third of them were children."

She felt the tears starting to creep down her face again.

"Afterwards, it was impossible to control it. The fires...the explosions...they'd come at random. Never as strong as the first time, but strong enough. Anytime I felt..._anything_, it would happen. Everything around me would combust. I did everything I could. I kept my distance from towns. Traveled at night...it didn't matter. 180 more people died because of me."

She knew every name. There were 508 sets of faces, birthdays, and brief tidbits of information stored in her mind. She knew that the youngest, a one-year old named Jonah, had said his first word a week before his death. She knew that Stephanie McKenna and George Hess were newlyweds out on a camping trip. She knew Tessa Michelin was about to leave for Arizona State, the first one in her family to get into college. She had read and memorized every obituary, every memorial page...

"So you see," she whispered. "I'm the monster here, not you."

Bella closed her eyes. She couldn't bear to see what they were thinking. They would see now...they would see how dangerous she really was. Granted, she was infinitely better at controlling herself than she was those first terrible years. But in less than four months she'd already lost control twice. Not to mention the many close calls she knew she had averted. Who was to say if the next time it happened, one of them stood too close and got caught in her wave of destruction? Immortality aside, they were vulnerable to fire. She shuddered to think of Esme or Alice, Emmett, Jasper, or Rosalie...Rosalie...reduced to ashes. The thought brought bile to her throat.

* * *

"Oh sweetheart," Esme said, sadly.

Jasper held onto his wife. He was starting to feel dizzy from the turbulent emotions in this small clearing. He had never felt so much guilt and remorse from one person. It was an impossible thought to consider that Bella felt like this on a regular basis. Worse yet, that she went through this all alone for so long. It was a testament to her strength that she was even capable of joy. Her spirit was intact but he feared she was close to the edge.

The numbers were slowly sinking in. More than 500...Of the family, he alone probably killed as many, if not more people during his long and bloody life. He had long ago made peace with the past. Not that it was an excuse, but he _was_ a vampire. Until he met Alice he didn't know there was another way. Their faces haunted him, but for 60 years he swallowed the painful venom and made the effort. With his family's help, he had accomplished what few vampires ever could. That knowledge helped offset the guilt he'd occasionally feel for the dead.

_How_ did this child survive? How did she shoulder the responsibility? The knowledge of causing her own mother's death? Of so, so many others'? Jasper knew much of the shock emanating from his family fell more in line with his thoughts than any others. They too could not comprehend Bella's existence. That she could control wind and fire, though mind-boggling by itself, was less of an issue than her miraculous survival.

Edward was the only exception.

Like Rosalie, Edward never felt comfortable with his lot in life. Unlike Rosalie though, his preoccupation with their stolen humanity had more to do with a deeply set religious belief than with vanity. Edward truly believed they were without souls. He believed that this so-called eternal life they led was a mere purgatory, and that at its end there would only be a hellfire waiting for them. Needless to say, this colored his view on life rather negatively.

Jasper was reminded of this as he focused his ability on his brother, because he felt from Edward the same emotions he usually felt when his mind turned to morality. Amidst the usual absence of hope, Jasper felt an unfamiliar sense of bitterness.

* * *

Edward stared hard at Bella, trying to reconcile the crying, shaken girl in front of him with the beast that had claimed 500 lives. His own emotions were difficult for him interpret. He knew he felt terror and disgust during Bella's speech. 500 innocents. Even the vampires hadn't sinned so...starkly. His own record was impeccable. Oh, he didn't count the would-be rapists and murderers he'd disposed off when he left home so long ago. He hadn't lost control then. And they were most certainly not innocents.

It would be a lie if he claimed not to fear Bella. It was ludicrous, he knew, that a human could make him feel so small and vulnerable. But Bella was currently undergoing an emotional crisis...and they were standing in a semi-circle around her. A quick explosions from her was all it would take to wipe out their coven. The fire in the forest came back to the forefront of his mind. She had reduced miles of woodland to ashes. They could be next.

She _is_ a monster, he thought. Such a gift was unheard of in the Vampire world. A human with this power was...unthinkable. Yet here she was...a child with the ability to wipe out the Vampire existence. She's killed so many. Edward was no fool-it was clear she felt remorse for what she had done. But at what point would she stop feeling guilty? He understood criminals...he had listened to so many of their minds before he'd ended them. Cold-blooded murderers justify their actions after a time. The thoughts strewing about in his siblings' and parents' minds suggested they believed because Bella had no control over the beast, she should not be held accountable for her crimes. How many times had he heard that one, he thought bitterly. All of the murderers he'd disposed of had begged for their lives...begged for him to understand that they couldn't help it.

No. She _could_ help it. She _does_ have control. She survived this long by herself...she must have been able to walk into a store or into an orphanage. She must have found the strength to deal with people. And if she had that strength, she should've used it more wisely. She should've gone to a more deserted location. She should've gone north, to the arctic or Siberia. She had seven years. More importantly, he knew what he would've done if he could...but Vampires are immortal, humans are not. She should've killed herself. No one person should be allowed to cause the destruction that she has in her short life. Edward found it impossible to pity her as his family did. If she felt so terrible over the lives she'd ruined, why didn't she end her own? Her _mother_ was dead because of her! He imagined what his guilt would be like if he caused his own mother's death. He could barely grasp at it. Without a doubt, if he was in Bella's shoes he would've found a way to cease living.

Edward wished his heart would stop contradicting his mind. Because despite his disgust and righteous outlook against Bella, he was torn... He continued to glare at her, but his mind scanned his family's and was now inside Rosalie's. His sister, who was still trying to process that Bella knew what they were, was currently going through her memories of her time with the girl and looking for any hint of apprehension or caution from Bella. The only such emotions she detected had to do with avoiding romance than with avoiding Rosalie's fangs.

If he wasn't so practiced with reading others, Edward might have gotten lost in her memories. Through Rosalie, he saw countless moments in which she was dangerously close to ignoring her self-imposed barriers and just kissing the girl. He saw nights spent within an arm's length of one another...both of them desperate but holding steadfast against moving closer.

But what evoked the strange, new bitterness he felt was her memory of yesterday afternoon. It should have been him, he realized with a start. That should have been him sitting next to Bella on the piano, creating music together. All along, it should have been him. It all made sense now. His reaction to her scent. Her ability to block him. She was the only person in the world he had to work to understand...the only person that made him try. It was why he asked her so many questions the few times they were together. For nearly a hundred years, Edward has never had to work to get to know someone...until Bella.

He understood now why he had been so horrified with Rosalie's desire to mate with her. Oh he still disapproved on moral grounds. Rosalie and Emmett were treating their marriage far too cavalierly. What they're planning is most definitely not ok in the eyes of God...even for a vampire. Marriage and mating were sacred in Edward's eyes, especially since of all of them he had been trapped alone for so long. Rosalie's plan to desecrate hers...with a woman...and with Emmett's approval made him sick. But his own feelings for Bella, he realized, were far more powerful than his disgust for his siblings. Bella was perfect...for him. She was supposed to be his mate. Finally, after a century of waiting, this was the perfect, the only one for him. And he was so close to losing her forever. He had to stop it from happening. He could hear Rosalie's thoughts...what she wanted to do. No!

* * *

Inhale for 5 seconds. Exhale for 5 seconds. Inhale for 6 seconds. Exhale for 6 seconds. Bella slowly calmed herself using one of the hundreds of techniques she had learned over the years. Esme's words brought her out of the darkness. In her eyes, she saw compassion and love. Carlisle too, looked at her with sadness and understanding. Could it be? Could she find a way to get through this...with them?

Then Edward spoke.

"Since you know so much, are you also aware that Rosalie and Emmett are married?"

Bella's heart froze. He wasn't saying what she thought he was saying, right? Her eyes snapped to his, and she silently begged him not to go there. Please, please don't go there.

At the same time, six pairs of eyes narrowed at the boy. Rosalie and Emmett started to growl.

"Edward," said Carlisle, warningly.

"Well? Are you?" He continued undeterred.

Bella nodded. "Yes," she whispered.

"Then what exactly did you think was going to happen? That she would leave her husband for you? That she would abandon a 70-year marriage for a human girl? For you?"

Everyone froze in shock at his words. Jasper nearly doubled over from Bella's pain. Rosalie's lips curled back. Had Edward glanced at her he would've had to close his eyes in terror. Never had Rosalie's eyes shone with as much brilliant hatred and anger as they had at this moment. But Edward didn't take his eyes off of Bella, who stood before him trembling.

The pain hit her like a thousand knives, as usual. But this time it was compounded by a deep sadness and guilt so strong her knees started shaking. It was all she could do to look at Rosalie and Emmett, who were now turning back to face her. Bella shook her head over and over again.

"I'm sorry," she whispered in anguish through the gushing tears. "I'm so sorry."

With one last look at her Rosalie, who would never really be hers, she turned and ran. A mile away she unleashed a trail of fire the Cullens would be unable to follow, and a strong gust of wind that would erase her scent.

* * *

**Author's Note II: So yeah, Edward' an ass. Im sure I'll get a lot of that in the reviews. But I hope the insight into his mind makes him a 3-dimensional ass. He has his reasons. I hope, after you spend some time stewing in anger, you can pity him a little. **

**Anyway, I hope to hear from you. **


	31. Run

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight**

**Author's note: I know this is short, but I'm going to try to get you another chapter by the end of the day. Yay, president's day and obligatory government holidays! **

* * *

Only a few times in her life had Bella ever run this fast. She wasn't sure if you could even call it running...she was all but invisible as she shot through the grass like a bullet. This kind of running involved wind and fire together. Normally she'd be too cautious to use fire intentionally, but this was an exceptional situation. She didn't know how fast vampires could travel and she needed to make sure they couldn't catch up.

So she ran and ran, using all of her strength, her endurance, and the extent of her powers, until she couldn't run anymore. When she finally stopped, her legs no longer able to carry her weight, it was dusk. Her watch told her she'd run for 9 hours. She looked at her surroundings as she collapsed into the field of corn where she had stopped. There was nothing but a sea of green and gold everywhere she looked but she knew exactly where she was. She was 11 the last time she was in Iowa. She guessed, if her quick calculations were correct, that she was about 80 miles southwest of Des Moines. Too exhausted to marvel at the distance she'd managed to travel, Bella put her head down on the dirt and fell unconscious.

* * *

Water...water. That was the only word that ran through Bella's mind as she awoke the next day. The sun was high in the sky and she felt the worst thirst she had felt in years. Stumbling onto her knees, she brushed off the bugs that had made her warm body home the night before, and rose gingerly to stick her head out of the corn.

Nobody. She didn't expect to see anyone out here but old habits die hard, and hers were reinstating themselves even as she took her first steps. Listen. She listened carefully, extending her ability far in the distance around her even though she could hardly think from the thirst.

There. A house, a little under two miles away to the east. There were people as well but she'd worry about that when she got there. She needed water, fast. Not so fast though, she reminded herself. Her rules were in full effect now. She needed to follow them to the letter as she had during her last two years in exile. Those rules were probably the only reason she was never caught and, more importantly, why no one was killed those years.

Travel at normal speed unless you're losing control. That was one of the rules. Running as fast as she was capable of took a lot out of her, and she needed all her strength in case she felt the fire rise up. But there was a simple, practical reason too. Using up her strength like that made her very hungry and she never had enough food or water for a normal day, let alone when her metabolism went through the roof as it did after running.

Avoid roads as much as possible. Walking along the side of a road was an invitation for all kinds of trouble, especially for a young woman. Worse than the shady predators that wandered through the country however, were the good samaritans who would try to help a young, obviously lost girl. She had made that mistake once early on. While walking down a road shortly after the incident, an elderly couple stopped their car and tried to help her. In a burst of surprise and relief, she caused an explosion that destroyed them along with four other passing cars and their passengers. 14 people including that couple died. She never again took a road to travel between towns.

When she got close enough to the house to be able to see inside, she stopped and hid in a thick patch of orchard trees. This is close enough, she reminded herself. If you're going to take any kind of action, do it at night when everyone's asleep. She couldn't go inside now, no matter how much her thirst tortured her. She would wait until cover of darkness. In the meantime though, she thought with a small smile, she'd make do with some fruit. Two apples from the tree above her zoomed into her waiting hands as she carefully stepped back into the cover of the corn field. Keep your distance, her mind recited as she bit blissfully into one of the apples.

Bella chose a spot a mile from the house-close enough that she could listen if she chose to yet far enough for her to feel somewhat safe to think and feel as she pleased. She was so tired...tired enough that it was unlikely the monster would show itself today. Her body ached from yesterday's run. Her emotions were drained. Her mind too focused on quenching the thirst to be of any use to her. But as she worked on her second apple she slowly regained the power to think. She closed her eyes, laid back and stretched her limbs on the cool dirt. One hand remained close to her heart, clutching tightly at Rosalie's necklace.

These fields...She had spent a lot of time tramping farms such as this, especially when she was smaller. A 15 or 16-year old could roam a small town's streets during the day with nary a second glance unless it was during school hours. A 10-year old could not. And so her first years on her own were spent hiding out in thick corn and wheat fields like this, as well as the wild Appalachia country. It was so hard back then. Not only did she have to deal with the uncontrollable fire and the yet-unfamiliar pain it brought, she had to learn how to survive in complete isolation. These fields probably saved her life, she thought, reflecting on a particularly horrible stretch of time during which she nearly starved. Every time she approached a house or a store, no matter how hard she tried to keep her emotions tempered, something exploded nearby triggering a wall of flames. She had lain in a field like this, emaciated and expecting death, when, on a whim she reached out and took a bite from a corn still on the cob. It was a little bitter but edible. That corn and whatever she managed to shake down from orchard trees kept her alive for nearly a year while she worked at calming her emotions. There were a lot of unexplained wildfires in the Midwest that year.

The improvement from age 9 to 10 was dramatic. By the following winter, she was able to sneak into homes for food and small necessities without hurting anyone. For Christmas that year, she rewarded herself with her first trip to a library since the night her mother died. The satisfaction was short-lived however. The library had computers. It was during that Christmas eve that Bella learned the true extent of the destruction she had caused on her 9th birthday. News reports, pictures, interviews, obituaries...and 328 people dead because of her. That library burned down that night, though thankfully no one was close enough to get killed.

It was then that she first became aware of her limitless mind. Running through a field of wheat with her eyes shut, the fire in the library raging behind her, she tried and tried to forget the names and the pictures of the dead. She couldn't. Every face was etched in her mind and in perfect detail, and would remain so forever. Later, when she calmed somewhat, she slowly realized that she could remember details of the last year in a similar photographic fashion. Though it would become critical to her survival over the upcoming years, Bella often cursed her perfect memory...and she cursed it again now.

As she watched the thin wisps of clouds pass by overhead, Bella wondered again at her memory. It was a question she often pondered...whether it was a gift or a curse. Her memory allowed her to keep track of her route through the countryside. It allowed her to easily distinguish between edible and poisonous plants after one reading of an appropriate book. But it also meant she would never find peace. She would never forget that old man and woman's concerned faces as they tried to offer her shelter. Her memory of her mother would always be ringed in fire. And now, though all but a fraction of her life had been spent in brutal loneliness, she couldn't force herself to forget the strange aberration that was the last few happy months.

She wanted so badly to forget. But the more Bella pleaded with her mind to move on, the stronger the Cullens' hold proved to be. With the Cullens, Bella had found a warmth and fulfillment she had never before known. Even her happiest memories with her parents were marred by their unease with her abnormality. Though they didn't have the slightest idea what they were harboring, Bella still felt a wonderful ease with them that, from the beginning, convinced her to give them-to give herself a chance. And until yesterday she had succeeded. Not only did she avoid accidents while in their presence, she managed to forge powerful bonds with almost each member of the family. After adjusting to their secret, Bella found herself not fearful but elated that her adopted family consisted of vampires. They might understand, she had thought to herself. Of all people, this family could've understood what she had gone through.

Her fingers softly caressed the necklace. None of that matters anymore, she reminded herself. You betrayed them in the worst way. Emmett doesn't deserve what you've done to him. And Rosalie...Bella could only pray that yesterday's revelation doesn't break up their marriage. She hoped Rosalie knew her husband well enough to be able to fix the wrongs that they had almost done. As for her, Bella hoped one day she might stop seeing Rosalie's face when she closed her eyes.

* * *

That night, Bella did what she had done a thousand times before. When her ears detected a chorus of soft rhythmic breathing, she made her way to the house. With one look, the back door unlocked itself. As softly as she could, Bella opened the door and floated inside. Take only enough for a day, she reminded herself. But first...water. After she had her fill, she found an old backpack in a storage closet, filled it with several bottles of water and a few snacks to get her through the next 24 hours, and exited the home, locking the door behind her.

She would have to get used to the hunger again, she thought, sighing. If she'd been living on what Charlie's money could buy and the hot plate in her shed, she might not have as big an adjustment to make. But it wasn't going to be so easy going cold turkey on Esme's cooking. After months of forcing herself, she had finally somewhat gotten used to eating like a normal person should-if you could count Esme's mouth-watering fare normal. That was gluttony compared to what Bella would have to retrain herself for now.

Bella looked to the stars to guide her and started walking. 60 miles away, Shenandoah's library closed early most days and last she checked it didn't have security cameras. There was an old upright there too.

* * *

**Author's note II: Bella's super fast running is like a bullet from a gun. Fire provides the thrust, while wind carries her momentum.**


	32. Three

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

* * *

Bella groaned as the sound of an extremely loud truck's horn woke her up. This was quickly starting to annoy her, she thought as she stirred from the uncomfortable cement floor that was her bed that day. There weren't many wild forests in this part of the country, and although there were plenty of fields where she could spend her days, their monotony rapidly grew rather boring. The last time she was here all those years ago she was kept fairly busy learning to control her emotions.

She sighed and got up to gather her things. Sleeping on the roof of a meat processing plant was not the best idea she'd had. Trucks rumbled to and fro at all hours, day and night. And the sounds of the slaughter inside was starting to be too much. But aside from camping in the tall wheat fields there really wasn't much choice. When she wasn't traveling, she spent her nights in whatever closest town's public library and, on occasion, hanging out in a shuttered school. But during the day when she slept, she was unfortunately stuck with only a few unappealing choices.

She needed to move on, that was clear. Her stomach grumbled in agreement. Test yourself first, she thought firmly. Cringing, she slowly let down her guard and called on her mental image of Rosalie. As usual, she felt the pain of her loss and the guilt of her betrayal, as well as the searing pain of the fire rising up inside her. But she concentrated hard and, after a few seconds, it died down. Deep breathes. Ok, let's get out of here.

A week wasn't a long a time but it felt like eternity to Bella. At least this week had. Bella tried to blame it on the endless farms that stretched beyond the horizon all around her, but she feared it was more than that. Those farms had never bothered her in the past. She wasn't _happy_ before, but she _was_ somewhat content with her days wandering the country. If you took the fire, the pain, the hunger, sleeping on rooftops and trees, and the whole killing people thing out of the equation, Bella was technically living many people's idea of freedom. She experienced the wild the way few people got to experience it. And she had her music and her books.

But it wasn't enough anymore, she thought sadly as a tear ran down her face. She wanted more. She missed Emmett's booming laughter and Alice's incessant shopping sprees. She missed sitting quietly with Jasper and Carlisle, each absorbed in their books. She missed Esme's warmth and compassion. And she missed Rosalie's fiery eyes that always seemed to communicate more than the girl ever spoke. She missed her voice, her soft smiles, even her growling. Hell, she even missed pretending to care about cars just so she could sit in the garage handing her tools.

Bella had spent nearly half her life punishing herself for what she had done. But it looked like she'd created a worse punishment for herself than she'd ever dared to imagine. Because the ache she felt as she thought of the family she couldn't have was far more potent than anything the fire could do to her. She had gotten a taste of ambrosia only for it to be snatched away forever.

You have much to pay for, she reminded herself. She wiped the tear from her face and gritted her teeth. She was close to the border anyway...Why not? Colorado had plenty of scenic outdoors where she could seek refuge. And it had some great libraries.

* * *

Now this is more like it, Bella thought, looking up at the rugged mountains in the distance. The first time she came to Roosevelt National Forest, she had fallen in love with the landscape and spent several months hiking off-trail. She was 15, and by then had developed much better control over the demon and had gotten relatively used to her solitary existence. The only challenge she faced in the vast forest was finding food. There were no supermarkets or patrons stuffed with cash after all. But between her skill with finding edible plants and vastly improved telekinesis she managed to get by...mostly on granola bars, beef jerky, hot dogs and nuts foraged from sleeping campers. Better than the bears, she used to laugh to herself.

It almost felt normal, hiking through the wilderness. That's probably why she enjoyed it so much. At that age, she looked like a regular kid with a taste for adventure. She used to pretend she was a famous explorer and make little games to get through each day. Bella knew how many steps it took to climb the park's highest peak. She knew that every fire pit and picnic table in this forest had her initials scrawled somewhere on them...though most people who saw the letters "B.S" probably thought they stood for something else.

She looked at her watch to confirm the time. It had taken her another eight days to get here from just outside of Colby, Kansas. Not bad, considering she did nothing more than walk the 300 miles. She walked for about 10 hours each day and stopped only to find food and a few new books from any bookstore she passed. By the time she set her newly acquired gear on the shore of Chasm Lake, she was in need of a well-earned rest.

She plopped down a little too hard on the ground and cursed, remembering how rocky this place was. She chose this particular spot for its isolation. Its dearth of foliage made it unpopular for overnight campers...not to mention it was pretty difficult for any but the most hardcore hikers to make the trek up or down Longs Peak, the barren mountain that covered this lake in its shadow. No, it was unlikely she'd come across anyone here tonight.

"You are one difficult human to track down, Bella Bear."

Bella gasped in shock. Emmett Cullen was standing not twenty feet away from her.

* * *

**Author's note I: Something tells me if I stop this here, one of you will find my address, sneak into my house and bite me. Luckily for my neck...**

* * *

"Don't you dare run!" Emmett shouted.

Bella was indeed already on her feet and about to break for it, but something in his voice made her stop. She took a deep breath and turned around.

None of the Cullens had ever looked less than runway glamorous all the time, but Emmett looked...almost run down. Granted, he could still turn heads if he chose to pose for Calvin Klein exactly as he looked now, but knowing him as she did, Bella could see that all was not well with her friend.

"How did you find me?" She whispered.

"Alice," he said and shook his head. "Would've caught up to you a lot sooner if you weren't blocking her. She didn't move for days after you left, trying to see where you'd finally end up."

Bella didn't know how to respond to that so she stayed silent. If Emmett was here on some kind of mission to reclaim his honor she'd let him say whatever he needed to say. She was in no position to argue or make demands.

Emmett sighed and, not taking his eyes off of her, moved to sit down on Bella's blanket.

"Can you please sit down?" He asked. "I need to say a few things and I'd like to not worry that you'll disappear to Mexico while I'm talking. Please, Bella."

Bella slowly walked closer and sat down at his side. This close to him, she couldn't bring herself to look at his face.

Emmett chose not to comment on her wandering gaze. He too looked to the distance at the rocky slopes in front of them.

"You are one hell of a girl," he said softly. "When Rosalie told me what happened the night you first met...when I saw how shaken she was from the few minutes you two had shared...I knew right then, before even Rosalie understood, that she would fall for you."

Bella's breath hitched in her throat. She didn't take her eyes off of the rocks by her feet.

"She saved me, you know," he said. "When I was human. I was out roughing it in a place like this and got myself mauled by a bear. I was dying, Bells, and there was so much blood. She carried me over a 100 miles to Carlisle so he'd turn me. I fell for her right away though it took her a little while to admit her feelings. But once she did...once she opened her eyes...Rose doesn't make decisions lightly you see, so when she makes them she holds true. And sure enough, she decided to give me a chance...to give herself a chance at happiness...and we've been going strong since."

"You've been listening to us for a while," he continued. "Did you hear anything...do you understand the concept of a mate?"

Bella shook her head.

Emmett sighed. "There's a lot of mumbo jumbo with Vampires I'm sure you'll come to learn about in the future. Mating is one of the few I understand, mainly because I've actually lived it. Rosalie is my mate. She's the one person in the world that completes me, and the one person who seems to understand me better than I do myself. She can feel my emotions and read my thoughts in a way no empath or mindreader can. She is literally my world."

Bella closed her eyes and felt a painful pang in her chest.

"This sounds familiar, doesn't it?" He asked softly.

She nodded slowly, still unable to use her voice. Rosalie's effect on her was like a lightning storm sometimes. She could make her feel like they were the only people on Earth, even in the middle of class surrounded by antsy kids.

"It's the same for her," Emmett whispered. He put a hand on hers. "She loves you...as much as she loves me."

The tears came before she knew what was happening. A soft whimper escaped her lips as she turned to look at him.

"I'm so sorry, Em," she cried out through the tears.

Emmett moved closer so he could wrap an arm around her. "Don't be," he said. "There's nothing shameful in falling in love, Bells...no matter the circumstances. It's the best thing for a human and it's the best thing for a vampire. It's proof, to me at least, that we're not all doomed to hell like...some of us think we are."

They sat like this for a while longer...Emmett softly caressing Bella's hair while her tears continued to fall.

"Bella," he said. "I love my wife. I want her to be happy and can't stand when she's in pain. I...I love you too Bells. After Rosalie, you're the best thing that's ever happened to me-or any of us for that matter. I won't lie to you...it's not easy admitting I'm not enough for her. But...it helps that I know her so well. She's never lied to me. When she says her love for me has never faded in all these years, I believe her."

"Most people would say I'm crazy. But you do pretty crazy things for the person you love. You'd do just about anything for them...even share them with someone else. Because, in this crazy situation, I don't think Rosalie will have to love either of us any less. I think that when you entered her life, Rosalie's heart got that much bigger. And she needs you...she needs us both to fill it."

For the first time since he started talking, Emmett's voice quivered. "Rosalie's been in hell since you left. I've never seen her like this. I can't...I can't put her back together by myself anymore. Please, Bella. I need your help. She needs you. Please come back."

Bella continued to shake quietly in Emmett's arms as she tried to take in everything he'd said. He was giving her permission...she could hardly comprehend it, but he was actually giving her his blessing. Bella couldn't find any words...

He wants to share. Bella was alone for so long that many things, such as homosexuality, never struck the nerve that they did for most other people. She never learned, except second-hand through her books, that it was relatively queer for a woman to love another woman romantically. So when it happened to her, she never experienced the panic or soul-searching most novels' characters went through. It was as natural as breathing. But a relationship with three people? Even Bella, with her limited understanding of humanity, knew that was...odd. It would be two relationships, she reminded herself, not one. _He_ doesn't want to be with you, she thought. Was this even possible?

Two...physical relationships, maybe. But for something like this to work there would have to be a relationship that encompassed all three of them as well. Emmett spoke so openly with her just now...he would have to be able to continue to do that even after...and so would she. So would Rosalie.

Her heart felt like it would burst with joy. There was a way...

Her grip on Emmett tightened as she lifted her eyes to meet his. She tried to detect any doubt, any hesitation in them. She couldn't.

Emmett smiled. His eyes shone with relief and happiness as she slowly nodded.

"Let's go home," he said.

* * *

**Author's note II: I started writing this 4 weeks ago exactly. Thank you all so much for reading and leaving your feedback. I can't tell you how happy you've made me. Here's to 4 weeks more!**


	33. Rosalie

**Disclaimer: I do not known Twilight.**

**Author's note: It's been 5 days! Alas! How could you, Darcy? I'll tell you...it's all the fault of one fanfic author names Slygoddess. She's got the best fem!Harry (that's Harry Potter born a girl) story I've ever come across (A Butterfly Effect), but hasn't updated the thing in over a YEAR. Wednesday, she came out with a new chapter at last...and it was over 38,000 words long. So yeah...blame her. Then go read her story.**

* * *

Alice sighed in relief when she heard the music start. That should buy them a few hours at least. She glanced at Esme and knew they were thinking the same thing...Rosalie on the piano was a hell of a lot better than Rosalie with...other activities she had taken to of late. At least she stopped trying to kill Edward...

The last two weeks have been nothing short of a nightmare for the family. The day Bella left...when it became clear that following her trail or her scent would be impossible...Rosalie damn near exploded. Even with Emmett trying to hold her back, and despite Esme and Carlisle standing between her and Edward, she still managed to tear the boy's arms off before they finally calmed her down. Jasper, unable to handle her crazed emotions, had chased after Bella until he lost her scent. As for Alice...after the excitement died away she had sat down and willingly forced herself through the biggest headache of her life. Over an hour of intense concentration...and still no visions of Bella...

"Any news from Emmett?" Carlisle asked cautiously.

Alice shook her head. Beside her, Jasper released another wave of calm in Rosalie's direction.

Carlisle sighed as his gaze fell on Rosalie's back. Alice's own bond with Jasper allowed her to feel some of what her husband could feel, and right now Carlisle was trying to quell his own feelings of guilt. All of them were privately wondering if there was anything they could have said or done to prevent their current misery. Carlisle, when Esme wouldn't talk to him for days after Bella left, finally realized his small part in driving the girl away.

"She's very fond of you," Jasper had explained. "More than she's ever let on."

Jasper proceeded to fill them all in on what he had witnessed thus far of Bella's relationship with her father. Now that they had some context, things made a little more sense. But it only served to increase Carlisle's guilt as he realized just how much he meant to Bella. If the silent treatment from his wife was an indication, he was the only one aside from Edward who did not see this in time.

Edward...the most difficult thing about all this was his eldest son. Edward was his first companion. His gift had helped Carlisle rely on him a great deal over the years. This was the first time in their century together that Carlisle felt led astray, and it was a difficult pill to swallow. Bella's gifts were highly unusual, that was true. And perhaps it was also true that they were far too volatile to be safe...at one time. But the magnitude of the destruction she caused on her 9th birthday and the struggles she'd dealt with since...the fact that she had lost control just once in all her time here, and that she was aware enough to steer clear of people when it happened suggested she had come a long way since her mother's death. It was a miracle, really, what she had accomplished on her own. The more he thought about it, the more he was convinced he could help her. He had helped his family through their blood lust after all...surely that was a more difficult ordeal than Bella's.

Carlisle only wished he could have thought of all this when it would have counted...when Bella stood helpless before them. More than that, he wished he was able to make Edward see. After they got over the initial shock...after they reattached Edward's arms and Rosalie stopped coming after him, he had a long talk with his son. All their "lives", though they've acted the part of a family, they always understood and respected each others' boundaries. Edward had a father once after all. All of them, with the exception of Alice, could remember a time with real parents and siblings. Carlisle was always careful never to try to take away from their memories however tenuous they might be. It would be improper to impose a set of rules and morality on others that, by right, did not really "belong" to him. The only rule in their household was the vegetarian one. Everything else came along with the years. Little by little, each of them started genuinely acting more like a family. Carlisle and Esme took their roles as parents seriously enough that they often truly did feel like they were of the same flesh. And Alice, Rosalie, Jasper, and Emmett...they were all so young when they were turned...not children, but young enough to quickly adjust to being the "kids" in the family.

Edward was a different story however. Perhaps it was because he and the boy had a decade together alone. Perhaps it was because he was the first. Or perhaps his gift had made him think he were omnipotent. Whatever the cause, Edward has always acted the role of detached leader. Carlisle had a feeling that if Edward looked older than himself, he would have long ago established himself as the head of their coven. However, as far as Edward went, Carlisle had only himself to blame. He had stood by and allowed Edward to make the family's moving decisions all these years, thinking that he would best know when people's thoughts began to grow suspicious. It wasn't an unintelligent move on his part. But clearly, Edward was not fit for such a responsibility. He had not attained the wisdom necessary for such trust, and Carlisle did not see it until it was too late.

There was hope, though. Even at their darkest moments...when one of them left, when Rosalie went on her rampage of revenge, he and Esme had never given up hope on their family. Even now, after Edward basically had to flee to Denali or risk getting torn to pieces once more, Carlisle held onto the hope that the family would come together again. If only Bella would come back, he thought as he listened to the lifeless notes streaming in from the living room.

* * *

Emmett paid the taxi driver and watched the car roar away. He and Bella continued the remaining miles to the house on foot.

"I'm not sure I follow," Bella started with a frown. "She...ripped his arms off?"

Emmett chuckled. "Yeah, but we put him back together. Good as new. Vampires are made of tough stuff, Bells. Though in Edwards sake...I'm not sure if he'll recover the rest of it."

"What do you mean?" Bella asked, alarmed. "She didn't..."

"No!" Emmett corrected her. "She wanted to, mind you. Would've too, if there weren't enough of us to stop her. No she did something much worse."

"Destroyed his piano," he casually answered her questioning glance. Destroyed the entire music room, he mentally added. And his books. And his music. And probably the structural integrity of his whole bedroom.

He looked down at the girl walking beside him. Though dawn hadn't yet arrived, he could see the concern and guilt on her face. She felt bad for him, he realized. He could only shake his head. How could that foolish boy not see her for what she was?

When the house was finally within sight, he heard the sounds of the piano abruptly stop. Emmett wasn't sure if Bella's crazy ears heard it too. Oh well, there would be time for questions later, he thought.

* * *

Her scent hit them all at the same time. Rosalie gasped, her fingers lifting from the keys as if shocked. Carlisle and Jasper let out a huge sigh of relief. And Alice and Esme-well, they were already outside running toward their favorite human.

"Bella!" Alice screeched and promptly flew into Bella's arms. Just as soon as Bella got over the shock of suddenly carrying the tiny girl, Alice started scolding her.

"Don't you ever, ever do something like that again!" Alice yelled, though she couldn't wipe the huge grin from her face.

Bella was spared having to come up with a response, because just then she found herself wrapped tightly in Esme's embrace.

"It's so good to have you back," Esme whispered.

"I'm...I'm happy to be back too," Bella said. She was quickly starting to feel overwhelmed. She most certainly did not expect this sort of reception.

Carlisle and Jasper reached her a moment later. The latter twirled her around in a big hug before setting her down in front of Carlisle.

Carlisle had a lot he wanted to say but he knew now wasn't the time. Aware that his wife was watching him very closely, he gently cupped Bella's face in his hands and kissed her on the forehead.

"Thank you for coming back," he said as carefully as he could. "We've all missed you terribly."

Bella, who by now could only blink back the happy tears that were threatening to come down, simply smiled and hugged the man back.

Through the hug, she spotted Rosalie, standing perfectly still by the front door.

She thought she had seen everything from Rosalie's eyes. She recalled the shades of hostility from the first week she'd known her. She recalled the ambivalence and reluctance in them the first night. And she remembered every time they brightened with her smiles, every time she spotted panic and worry for her safety, and every time she thought she saw a spark of the unspoken feelings they shared. And of course, she remembered in perfect detail when that spark lit up and her eyes told her everything the day they played together.

How to describe her eyes now? How to dream of characterizing them? Rosalie looked...like hell, indeed. Still flawless to the naked eye, of course. But Bella had the girl memorized. She could see that she looked exhausted...that her clothes were almost unkempt and her hair for once was not 100% in place. But it was her eyes that startled her. Rosalie's eyes looked...dead. For the first time since she'd known her, Bella could believe that the creature standing before her did not have a beating heart.

But just as quickly as Bella could take it all in, the fire that was always somewhere in Rosalie's eyes returned.

"Why don't you two go for a walk," Emmett said quietly.

As soon he said it, Carlisle, Esme, Alice and Jasper darted inside the house. Emmett held Bella in a half hug and whispered, "take care of her," before walking up to the house himself. At the door, Rosalie turned to him and reached for his hand. Without a word, she raised it to her lips and left a long, lingering kiss. Emmett smiled gently and gave her a soft kiss on the lips, then followed his family inside.

* * *

Neither of them said anything until Rosalie was at Bella's side.

"Hi," Bella said, timidly.

"Hi," Rosalie replied and held out her hand. Bella took it, closing her eyes momentarily to her touch.

"There's a spot up the mountain I like..." Bella said softly.

"I can get us there pretty fast," Rosalie said. She knew Bella could run faster even than her if she chose, but if she was honest with herself she just didn't want to let go of the girl's hand.

"Actually," Bella started, looking a little nervous and excited, "I have another way."

Rosalie raised an eyebrow.

"Trust me?" Bella asked, quietly.

Rosalie nodded slowly, then gasped as Bella started to show her the "other way."

With Bella's eyes trained on her, Rosalie and then Bella gently lifted from the forest floor. Rosalie, never having experienced anything remotely like this, stared at Bella apprehensively.

Bella smiled shyly. "I won't let anything happen to you," she said, knowing that even if she fell the vampire would be none the worse for wear.

"And what about you?" Rosalie asked as she steadied herself by putting her arms around the younger girl. "Are you unbreakable too?"

They were well out of sight of the house when Bella answered. "No," she said. "But falling won't hurt me."

Rosalie had so many questions, but now was not the time. They sped up above the trees, invisible to prying eyes in the darkness of the dawn. Her position behind Bella, her arms encircling her waist, was rather distracting as well. She chanced a breath and closed her eyes in contentment. Heaven.

Bella's location choice turned out to be on the edge of Olympic National Park. The mountains there were the reason Forks was always covered in clouds. Bella landed softly on a thick, sturdy branch of a tall tree that dangled precariously at the edge of the mountain. Bella said nothing, and though Rosalie would not let go of her waist, she too stayed quiet, relishing the feel of her so close when she was gone for so long. They stood like this together for a long time. Bella's insides flip-flopped every time she felt Rosalie brush against her from behind. Unbeknownst to the blonde, Bella was fighting her internal battle with more fervor than she'd ever summoned before. She had thought only negative emotions like anxiety and anger would make the fire come out. She was wrong. While she felt the usual pain however, a new sensation joined in that felt...incredibly good. It was especially intense where Rosalie was touching her and-_oh god_-where she was kissing the back of her neck. Bella's eyes fluttered and she was sure her heart skipped a beat, but Rosalie ignored her trembling and continued to shower the back of her neck, her hair, her ears, and her shoulders with soft, lingering kisses.

"Don't ever do that to me again," Rosalie said when her lips were a hair away from her ear. "Don't ever leave like that."

Bella nodded. "I'm sorry," she said.

Rosalie said nothing, but continued her ministrations on Bella's neck with more and more zeal. Bella crossed her arms around her herself, her hands finding their way to Rosalie's which were resting lightly on her abdomen. She tightened her grip, praying she could keep from losing control. She'd never felt such pain...and such pleasure at once in her life. It was mind-blowing.

"I'm scared of hurting you," Bella whispered. "I'm so scared I'll lose control."

If she wasn't so intoxicated with Bella's presence, Rosalie might have laughed. Her mouth was on Bella's neck...her teeth grazing her flesh...and Bella was worried about _her_.

"I'm not," she paused in order to kiss a particularly tantalizing section of Bella's neck, "a helpless human, Bella." They both groaned softly...Rosalie's tongue joined her lips. "You have enough control to warn me...I'll have time to run..."

She stopped, eliciting another groan from Bella. "You're-you're really ok with...with what we are?"

Bella turned her head so she could see her. She saw the hesitation in her eyes. Rosalie looked embarrassed, ashamed. For the life of her, Bella had no idea why. Rosalie looked down and loosened her grip. Then Bella understood.

She didn't know what she could say to explain just what she thought of her, of the Cullens. She didn't know how to tell her that they were the reason Bella felt human...that they were the ones who taught her how to love when she was very much in danger of losing her grip on everything real. She didn't know what to say, but her body somehow knew what to do. Before she had time to change her mind, Bella twisted so she was facing Rosalie and leaned, at last, into her lips.

Rosalie fought not to squeeze her arms like she wanted to. My god, how she wanted to hold her tight against her. But she absolutely could not-crazy gifts or not, Bella was a human who'd be crushed if Rosalie did as she desired. So she forced herself to be content with her lips. Her lips...they were finally doing what they had desired after months of temptation. She moaned into the kiss, amazed at Bella's warmth, at her taste, her softness.

Bella in the meantime felt as though she had lost all capacity for thought and memory. The only thing she was aware of, the only thing that mattered was Rosalie...Rosalie and her lips. Something deep within her stirred, shocking her like a lightning strike. It felt...amazing. Her insides were boiling...but this felt better than anything she had ever experienced. More, the thought surfaced in her mind. _More!_ Bella deepened the kiss and moved herself deeper inside Rosalie's arms. Her fingers gripped at Rosalie's shirt and with a surprising strength, pushed her hard against the tree.

Rosalie barely had time to feel startled at Bella's sudden ferocity when she felt Bella's tongue snake into her mouth. _Oh Jesus_. Both girls melted into one another. Rosalie moved her hands behind her to the trunk of the tree and crushed handfuls of it over and over again. Bella's hands moved to cup Rosalie's face. She couldn't get enough of her. They moved to her waist, her back. Rosalie's whimpered groans encouraged her when her hands found the curves of her behind. She squeezed, and groaned herself at the sensation. With a rising passion, Bella continued her exploration of Rosalie's mouth, oblivious to anything else.

Rosalie's senses picked it up first. She opened her eyes to confirm what her nose smelled. Above them, leaves were beginning to glow and shrivel up. Every branch her eyes could see was glowing from the inside. And yet Bella continued on, completely unaware of what was happening.

"Bella," Rosalie murmured into the kiss, absolutely hating to stop and somewhat amazed that it was Bella, not herself who was about to lose control. "Bella, we have to stop."

"Hmm?" Bella breathed, still trying to kiss her.

"Stop, Bella. You have to calm down."

She wished she could do something to take away the tortured expression on Bella's face. Bella shrank inside herself as she looked around at what she had done. If anything, her grip on Rosalie tightened even more.

"I'm sorry! Oh god, I'm so sorry!" Bella cried out.

"Shhh," Rosalie said softly. "You're still in control. This isn't even close to what happened in the woods. You're in control, Bella. Please calm down."

Rosalie held the girl in her arms, wishing she had Jasper's gift so she could ease away Bella's terror. It really wasn't terrible, what she'd done to the trees. It was quite beautiful if you forgot that everything could explode any second. Her soothing embrace seemed to do the trick. Slowly, the embers died down and gave way to the glow of the sun that was beginning to peak. She eyed the sunlight crawling its way down the tree warily. She wasn't sure if she was ready to show Bella this part of herself. It would be so..._final_ for Bella to see how obviously not human she was.

"Bella..." Rosalie's voice quivered, prompting Bella to look up. "I don't...do things lightly. This...this thing that we have...you and me, and Emmett...it's not a joke. I intend for it to last. Are you-do you understand? Do you understand what I'm saying? What I'm asking?"

Bella looked deep into her eyes and slowly nodded. "I'm already yours," she said, hoping that was enough to answer Rosalie's unspoken question.

Rosalie exhaled the breath she had held out of habit. With a last look at the betraying light befalling them, she stepped back and allowed the sun to hit her face.

Bella gasped. "Angel..." she whispered.

If angels existed, they couldn't be more beautiful than this. They just couldn't. Bella refused to blink as she took in the glittering, glowing sight before her. Rosalie in the sunlight was more beautiful than the most captivating fire.

"That's why we don't go out in the sun..." Rosalie whispered, downcast.

Why does she hate herself? Bella wondered. She stepped into the sunlight with her and stroked her cheeks with both hands.

"You're beautiful. Inside and out," she said, and reached up once again to kiss her.

It was softer this time, much more gentle than their first kiss. A minute into it though, Rosalie heard the sound of crackling fire and pulled away.

"You do intend to work on this, right?" Rosalie asked, unable to hide her frustration.

Bella nodded sheepishly. "I never had this kind of motivation before," she said with a smile.

Rosalie rolled her eyes but smiled back nonetheless. "Come on," she said. "Emmett's gonna want a turn flying."

* * *

**Author's note: Ah, romance. I can't believe how long it took to write that scene. Romance is hard! Is your heart fluttering? Unable to stop grinning like a fool? Do tell! **


	34. Steps

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight**

**Author's note: Yes, I deserve to be spanked. Any volunteers? **

**Seriously though, I'm so sorry for the unusual delay. I did have my reasons though. There were several deadlines and meetings at work that needed my full attention throughout the week. Um, you can also blame Princess Alexandria for writing her cool OC Christy Taylor...read two of her stories and couldn't get my head out of the Marvel universe for a couple of days.**

* * *

"Fuck!"

"Bella, it's ok. You did quite well."

"You call knocking you down 'quite well'?"

"I'm stronger than I look, Bella. I can take it."

"That wasn't even that hard a thrust..."

Emmett snickered to his wife. "Ooh I bet you can't wait to see what her full effort looks like. Oh shit-" He took a step back and stood behind Rosalie while Bella glared at him.

"Emmett, don't antagonize her right now," Carlisle said from his position in the tree line. He stood dignified as always and ignored the mirthful glances Rosalie and Emmett kept giving his unkempt hair and the blotches of dirt on his face.

"Try it again, Bella," he said, noting her chagrined expression. "Work on that focus."

Bella sighed and stamped down the sarcastic remark bubbling inside her. She was grateful for Carlisle's help, really she was. But the man didn't seem to understand that it was impossible to focus on anything but the pain.

"Come on Bella," Rosalie said softly. "One more time, please."

As always, Bella melted a little inside when she heard the tone in Rosalie's voice. She would do anything to hear her speak to her like that every moment of every day.

Sighing, Bella braced herself once more and took a few steps away from Rosalie and Emmett to be safe. Like she'd done dozens of times over the last week, Bella closed her eyes and concentrated on calling up the fiery monster within her. Nothing happened for quite a while. Bella's automatic attempts to quell the fire, a habit seven years in the making, made it extremely difficult if not impossible to create so much as a flame if she wasn't feeling strongly enough for it. The first few days, Carlisle had no choice but to use lighters and small campfires to coax the monster out. Today though, he insisted they leave the props at home and work on igniting the spark within her.

Pain. This was the worst part. In order to come even close to calling the fire, she had to force herself to relive some pretty terrible memories...and there were so many to choose from. Her mother's face in the flames. Her father the moment he decided Bella wasn't worth saving. Countless taunts, shoves, and all the creative ways children devise to torture their peers. The deaths. The faces of every soul she had killed. And most recently, Edward's harsh words...Charlie's hateful eyes.

Steadily, the pain rose and rose. Now the tricky part. In order for a burst of fire to come through she had to allow the pain to reach its tipping point. If that were all she needed to worry about she'd succeed...but the forest, and her friends, would blow up in seconds. No, she needed to find a way to pull back as soon as the blinding pain turned to pleasure...before the monster could gleefully take control and revel in the destruction.

This was easier said than done.

Then, as had happened many times this week, she shook with pain.

"Rose," she whispered. From the corner of her eye, Bella saw Rosalie and Emmett tense, preparing to run for it if Bella lost control. It was the only warning she could give them even as her thoughts neared shutdown. She closed her eyes and held on as far she could and chanted Rosalie's name in her mind. Rose, Rose, Rose...Fire. Bella opened her eyes.

"Oh fuck," said Emmett.

* * *

"Jazz! Let's go!" Alice shouted as she ran down the stairs.

"Bella?" He asked as he came out of Carlisle's study. They were out the door and running in seconds, Esme following close behind. One look from her was all the confirmation he needed. This wasn't the first time this happened this week.

Together they ran at top speed. Even if they didn't already know where Carlisle and Bella were practicing, they would've been able to find it easily. They smelled the smoke and burnt wood miles before they arrived.

"Oh, Bells," Alice whispered. She turned to nudge her husband but Jasper was already approaching the human girl. Alice walked up to her more slowly and stopped by Rosalie, Emmett and Carlisle. She squeezed Rosalie's hand when she reached her-she looked positively miserable as she looked down on Bella's crying form.

Jasper reached her side and sat down. They all felt the wave of calm and love he sent her way, and gradually Bella's crying ceased.

"You didn't hurt us, Bella," Carlisle said. "In fact, now we know we can definitely outrun it."

"You could've died..." Bella whispered as she hugged herself tighter.

Alice winced from the residual emotions Jasper pushed her way but didn't say anything. Her husband was often overwhelmed from Bella's emotions these days. She'd do this much at least to help. Something caught her eye though that distracted her from Bella's pain. Alice poked her sister and pointed behind them.

The surrounding area was blackened and bare from the damage. Alice always felt a sense of awe whenever she witnessed Bella's gift. It was incredible how much raw power she commanded-or _didn't_ command as they knew that was her problem. Rosalie, Emmett and Carlisle followed Alice's gaze. In the midst of the destruction, two small sections remained distinctly green and alive. Rosalie's face immediately morphed into a big smile.

"Bella! Look." She pointed behind her as Bella stared, confused. "That's where we were standing. We didn't even have to run. You protected us."

"Which means you didn't lose all your control," Carlisle said gently. "You're making progress."

Bella said nothing. But she stared long and hard at the two undamaged areas nearby. Something was wrong. She was far too tense and Jasper looked about ready to pass out.

"What is it, sweetheart?" Esme asked.

Finally, Bella looked up. "It's still there," she said. "It...wants to keep burning."

After a moment, Carlisle kneeled in front of her. "Bella," he said. "What are you feeling right now?"

"Frustrated..." she whispered. "I've...never been able to stop it before it was done. It wants to finish it."

"Tell them," Jasper whimpered, shaking next to her. "Tell them how it feels."

Bella turned to him. If anything she looked sorry. "It hurts. A lot," she said.

"When things explode?" Esme asked.

"No," Bella replied, gritting her teeth. "Before that. While I try to keep it down. The urge is so strong...it burns."

Esme kneeled beside Bella as well and took her hand. "And when it does come out?" she asked quietly.

Bella looked down at the withered grass. She was silent for a very long time before she finally spoke.

"It feels wonderful," she said, her voice barely a touch above a whisper. "Like I've found the answer to every terrible thing...like I'll never be hungry or thirsty or tired ever again. I'll never feel pain ever again. It's exactly what my body needs. Every time I have to fight it...I have to fight the desire to feel that. I've been fighting that...craving...ever since...Ever since. It hurts more than anything you can imagine when I succeed. And it feels better than anything when I lose."

Alice stared at her. The whole family stared at her. None of them knew where to begin. Bella seemed to be describing...them. She was describing their daily struggles with not killing her and every human they crossed paths with. Her words may very well refer to their own hunger for human blood.

Carlisle cleared his throat. "Would it be easier if we let you finish?" He asked.

She laughed bitterly. "Yes. But I'd like to try...if it's ok, I'd like to try to contain it."

"We're here, Bella Bear," Emmett said. "We're not leaving you."

Rosalie squeezed his hand. Bella closed her eyes and noticeably changed her breathing to a steadier rhythm. Rosalie shuddered as a flash of pain appeared on Bella's face which disappeared as quickly as it came. They remained in their places, watching her with concern and fascination. After a few minutes her face visibly calmed, but Jasper was still trembling.

"I'm sorry, Jasper," Bella said under her breath. "This is awful for you. You should go. It's gonna get worse."

If she didn't know it was impossible, Alice would've thought Jasper was about to break out into sweats. "Thank you, but no," he said. "I can help you and I will."

Alice didn't understand. Bella looked fine. She looked like she was meditating. What had Jasper so worked up? He must've felt her confusion then, because a moment later she felt him reflecting some of what Bella felt onto her. She gasped and fell to the ground.

"Holy...how are you...how can you stand this?" She cried out while breathing heavily out of habit.

Bella opened her eyes, and Alice's heart fell from the pain she saw in them.

"Years and years of practice," Bella answered.

The minutes ticked by. Hours were nothing to Vampires who lived for hundreds of years, but watching their friend go through that kind of pain and knowing they could do nothing for her made the minutes tortuously slow. Jasper finally relaxed and rubbed Bella's back as she slowly looked up.

"Thank you," she said looking at each of their faces.

* * *

Bella moaned softly when she felt the blonde's lips on her collarbone.

"I can't believe," Rosalie murmured as her hand pushed Bella's collar aside, "you managed to talk us into letting you come back here."

Bella opened her mouth to respond, but all that came out was a groan-Rosalie's other hand was at her left breast, pinching her nipple through her shirt.

"Mmm," she moaned. Bella's hands caressed Rosalie's cheeks, her fingers tracing the shape of an ear. "You know why. I'm too volatile still. And he'll ask too many questions if I move to your place. Can't put your family- _oh__ fuck_...under the spotlight."

Rosalie body moved lower on top of Bella's. Her mouth replaced her hand and she gently nipped the other girl's very erect nipples, still maddeningly through her shirt. Were those stars she was seeing? Bella's body moved seemingly on its own. Her hips thrust upward, again and again. She clutched tightly at anything she could grab on Rosalie, her shirt, her hair, her neck, and wrapped her legs around her. Both of them groaned when Rosalie moved her body to match Bella's thrusts.

"Fuck...come here," Bella whispered and pulled her roughly to meet her lips. Rosalie happily complied and for the hundredth time that afternoon Bella melted into her mouth.

She tastes like sunshine, was the only incoherent thought to fly through Bella's mind as the kiss deepened. A moment later, Rosalie's tongue was sliding over hers and the thoughts stopped entirely.

They both whimpered in pleasure, their tongues and hips waging their own wars while each of them fought to control one's self. Bella bit Rosalie's lower lip before she traced it with her tongue. Suddenly she linked her legs through hers and grabbed her hips, twisting them both around so Bella was on top.

"I'm sensing a pattern here," Rosalie teased. Bella didn't fall for the bait. Instead she fell in between Rosalie's legs and resumed their kissing. She moaned...she definitely liked having the blonde beneath her. Rosalie's hands cupped her cheeks and brought her even closer. Bella's own hands started to make their way up Rosalie's shirt.

"Fuck!" Rosalie yelled, jumping off the bed. A split second later the room was filled with the white substance pouring out of the fire extinguisher that had been sitting by Bella's bed. When the air cleared, the curtains on the window flapped weakly then fell to the floor, charred black and in pieces.

Rosalie set the fire extinguisher-one of many that now adorned Bella's shed-and went to hold Bella, whose eyes were screwed shut and would remain so, Rosalie knew, until the pain cleared.

"It's ok," Rosalie whispered. "It's ok."

Bella nodded but remained quiet. Rosalie wished Jasper had never shared what he felt from her. She hated being so helpless when she knew just how much pain Bella had to endure when something like this happened.

"It's all right, love. Come back."

A few minutes later, she felt her relax further into her. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

"I know," Rosalie replied. "You're much better. Last week we had to stop within minutes. We've been here all afternoon."

She nodded again and squeezed her hand. "Sorry," she repeated, more sheepishly this time.

Sighing, Rosalie slumped back. "Yeah...If I didn't know any better I'd think you were the biggest tease this side of the equator."

"Am I making you randy, Rosalie Hale?" Bella asked with a smile. "Whatever happened to that knight of yours with the impressive set of biceps?"

Rosalie grinned. "Oh, he helps. He'll probably want to present you with an official proclamation of his appreciation soon seeing as how much my inability to have my way with you has dramatically increased sex for him."

Bella laughed. "So I put in all this work and he gets all the glory?"

"'Fraid so, little human. Until you can work your way to the grand prize without blowing up the state."

"Evil vampire," Bella muttered.

"Cocktease."

"Bloodsucker."

"Pyromaniac."

"Sex addict."

"You bet," Rosalie replied wickedly, leaning into her ear and putting a lobe into her mouth.

"Fuck..." Bella moaned.

* * *

**Author's note: Rosalie rocks. (fanning self). Review, people! Tell me how you feel, what you think, your hopes and dreams. I guarantee I'll listen!**


	35. Closer

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

**Author's note: Life happens guys. And boy, a lot of life happened over the last two weeks. That's all I have to say.**

**Author's note II: If you want to hear a happy tune that I like to listen to when I think about the progression of Bella and Rosalie's relationship pre-consummation (lol) listen to Closer by Tegan & Sara. "All I think of lately is how to get you underneath me..." :D**

* * *

Logically, Emmett knew he couldn't be sore. His muscles haven't been capable of change and, therefore of fatigue in three-quarters of a century. It just wasn't possible. But possible or not, he definitely looked the worse for wear as he plopped heavily onto the couch by Bella.

Bella looked up from her book. "Again?" She asked. Emmett noted she wasn't even trying to hide the glimmer in her eyes.

He narrowed his but nodded anyway, wincing as he maneuvered into a more comfortable position on the couch.

"That was what? The 5th time today?" She asked, grinning.

"7th," he replied with a groan. "She pulled me away from Assassins Creed earlier. I was doing so well too."

Bella rolled her eyes. "You don't seriously expect any pity from me, do you?"

Emmett growled slightly. "No...but I do expect you to hurry up and stop setting things on fire. I'm beginning to think vampires might have a limit...any vampire but Rosalie that is." He groaned again and sank further into the couch, putting his feet up on Bella's lap.

The laughter left Bella's face as she was reminded of the reasons for her own physical exhaustion. Emmett immediately felt guilty for suggesting she was dawdling with getting better. Carlisle was putting Bella through a pretty masochistic training schedule. He took a leave of absence from the hospital the day after Bella returned and spent hours with her every day that summer helping her tame her gifts. There were dozens of pockets of scorched forest and open areas in the wilderness surrounding their house. When August rolled around, Carlisle and Bella took to travelling a few hundred miles away to avoid suspicion from the town's population, especially Charlie.

"Sorry Bells," he apologized. "I know you're working your butt off. It's just..."

"It's just you can't wait for me to sleep with your wife?" She finished, a slight smile coming back to her face that quickly changed back to the usual anxiety she always felt whenever this topic came up.

"Bells, don't start," Emmett whined. "Rosie will take a limb if she hears I made you feel bad. We've talked about this. HUNDREDS of times. I'm happy for the two of you. I'm happy for all of us. And I'll be a hell of a lot happier when I can play my video games uninterrupted again," he mumbled.

Bella listened to his words, and as always she believed him. Emmett was far too genuine a person to be dishonest, and he clearly believed in the new reality of their relationship. Still. Every first new display of affection Rosalie demonstrated with her in front of Emmett or anyone in the family would send Bella through a mini panic attack until she eventually got used to it. The first time she and Rose kissed inside the house and in front of Emmett, two of Esme's lamps blew out. That was over a month ago though, and Bella's wayward emotions had calmed considerably with Rosalie. They could cuddle-and they often did on this very couch-with Emmett on the other side of Rosalie without Bella worrying about the boy as she often did in the beginning. At first they all tried to be respectful of each other and refrain from too much affection in front of each other-Bella's heart hammered in her chest at the thought of Emmett seeing their hot (and often flammable) make-out sessions. But lately Rosalie's...insatiable nature made waiting to be alone for intimacy impossible. Emmett took the brunt of it because he was able to, but even Bella on several occasions had found herself pinned inside Rosalie's Mercedes with the blonde furiously moving on top of her until Bella had to remind her she might blow up her precious engine if they continued any further. Needless to say, Rosalie spent much of the summer stewing in frustration and anger. Bella spent it in emotional pain from forcing herself to relive her most painful memories, and frustration over the slow pace of her improvement with Rosalie. And Emmett spent it in disbelief that he was getting tired of sex and desperately wishing his wife and best friend would do the damn deed already so he could catch a break.

"I love you too much to hurt you," Bella said. "And her. Will you-will everything still be the same after...?"

"No," Emmett admitted. "It won't be the same. We'll be equals then. Not saying it'll be bad, but it'll take awhile to get used to. For all of us."

"Speak for yourself!" Alice shouted from upstairs. "I'm already used to it!"

Bella and Emmett both rolled her eyes. The rest of the Cullens, apart from Edward, had adjusted pretty quickly to the new dynamic between the new triad. Alice however had taken to the whole thing like a fish in water. The girl was so excited for her siblings and best friend...As Bella's power improved so did Alice's ability to see her. None of them understood why, but Carlisle took it as a sign they were moving in the right direction. Alice still had to concentrate unusually hard to see her, and she could never see her when her emotions were elevated. But she had no difficulty seeing Rosalie...

Bella would ordinarily be furious at the breach of privacy, but she was so grateful that Alice could alert them if she was about to lose control that she swallowed her embarrassment and learned to live with it. She had to constantly remind herself that there were three couples with vampire senses all living together in this house. The rest of them were already used to everybody knowing everything. Bella just had to suck it up and stop blushing. If only Alice would wipe the smirk that seemed to perpetually be there now whenever Bella and Rosalie were in the room together off of her face.

"Don't spoil things for them, darling." Jasper laughed. "It isn't polite."

Bella reluctantly smiled at her friends' antics upstairs They had become closer than ever over the summer. Jasper and Alice were like a brother and sister to her now. It took just a few months for her to feel this way about them, she mused she tried to imagine what a bond would be like given the years the rest of the Cullens had...it never failed to leave her dumb with awe.

A streak of gold rushed down the stairs. Rosalie stopped and walked at a human speed the rest of the way to the couch, where she joined her lovers after they maneuvered a bit to let her squeeze in. Bella's heart thumped in her chest at Rosalie's touch-her arm circled around the younger girl protectively even as she herself leaned into Emmett's embrace. It wasn't necessary for any of them to speak at this point.

* * *

Jasper's face broke out into a content smile as he felt the emotions from downstairs. Next to him, Alice sent him a questioning glance and a small nudge. His grin widened as he shared with her Bella's, Rosalie's, and Emmett's happy emotions. She smiled back and snuggled deeper into his side.

"I love you," they both whispered at the same time.

* * *

Esme looked up from her modeling and smiled. It was impossible for the new relationship not to affect everyone in the house and aside from occasional hesitation and concern on Bella's and Emmett's parts, the general mood has been fairly uplifting. Esme loved her children dearly and that included Bella now. She couldn't deny how happy she and Rosalie had been. And while Emmett's position was indeed unusual, he too was happy for his wife and his best friend.

Bella didn't know it, but Esme and Carlisle had been taking measures to ensure her safety with her father. Her nostrils flared at the mere thought of that man. The most frustrating thing about him was that aside from his relationship with his daughter, Charlie Swan was a good and decent man. They had met several times in the past and he was one of the few people in town who didn't immediately shrink back from the Cullens. When the hospital board received complaints from patients who objected to the relationships under the Cullens' roof, Charlie intervened on Carlisle's behalf and convinced the board to mind their own goddamn business.

They could understand his emotional upheaval. His situation was unique-he couldn't exactly share his feelings with a therapist or a family counselor. For seven years the man had lived with the terrible knowledge that his daughter had killed his wife and hundreds more. As far as they knew, he kept that secret tight in his chest all this time. Was he right to blame her? For Esme the answer was a no-brainer. Bella didn't ask for her gifts. They were part of her like any critical organ. She was just a child for god's sake...an innocent child who was forced to endure unthinkable guilt and pain. Yes, over 500 people were dead. But as far as Esme was concerned it was Bella's gift, not Bella herself who killed them. The child had spent nearly half of her life alone and on the run trying to contain the evil. Wasn't that penance enough?

Of course they couldn't say any of this out loud to Charlie. They couldn't let on that they knew his daughter's history. Bella made it clear, rightfully so, that involving the Cullens so starkly in her life would put them at risk of higher scrutiny. Normal human families would not take in an admitted dangerous killer. Normal human families would not overlook Bella's very real danger of spontaneous combustion. So Esme and Carlisle had no choice but to bite their tongues and agree to send her back to a man they knew had no qualms with watching her die.

That didn't mean they were sitting on their behinds though. She looked down at her phone and sighed impatiently waiting for word from Carlisle. Her husband was on a mission today, a mission that the two of them had carefully planned for weeks.

* * *

Carlisle sat still in his car, waiting. The clock ticked past a quarter after 5, and he knew that Charlie's shift ended 15 minutes ago. Alice said he planned to make a grocery run, so the chances were good that Charlie's cruiser would show up at the supermarket's parking lot today where Carlisle sat patiently.

There he is, he thought. Don't screw this up Carlisle.

Five minutes later, both men were walking somewhere inside the store. Carlisle made sure he had a few items in his cart before approaching Charlie. Tragic, he thought as he got closer. Charlie's fortunes have been unlucky, that much was true. He doubted many parents would have been able to move on in a healthy manner after experiencing the things this man did. It was so much worse that he wasn't allowing himself to get to know his daughter, whose advancements over the last month had astounded even Carlisle though he had seen much in his three hundred years. He shook his head. As sorry as he felt for Charlie, today's mission was to help Bella.

"Chief Swan?" He exclaimed in pretend surprise and smiled as Charlie turned to face him. "I haven't seen you in quite some time. How have you been?"

"Evening, Doc." Charlie nodded to him and reached over for some more potatoes. "Life is treating me just fine. And yourself?"

"Oh you know how it is," Carlisle replied. "There's never a dull moment with our kinds of jobs. Actually I've been on an extended holiday for that past few weeks. It's nice to have all the kids at home...good to enjoy them while I can."

"Mmm," Charlie murmured, nodding.

"Actually I'm glad I ran into you," Carlisle said suddenly. "I was going to give you a call soon anyway to get your permission for the trip."

"Huh? Trip?" Charlie looked at him, perplexed.

"Bella didn't tell you?" Carlisle shook his head. "Kids these days...I swear if I didn't force mine to talk to me they'd only communicate by texting. The trip. We take a week or two every year before school starts on a backpacking trip somewhere. It's become somewhat of a family tradition. Thing is, my kids are quite fond of your Bella. So is Esme in fact-she's positively crazy about her. They've all spent a lot of time together this summer and, well, we'd really love it if she could join us. Now, now," he continued with a smile, "I know what you're thinking. But you really don't have anything to worry about. We're the most experienced campers you'll ever meet. And I promise, Esme and I will watch over her like she's one of our own."

Charlie just stared at him. Carlisle could tell he was trying not to look surprised that they were even aware of Bella's existence to begin with. The chief of police had a good poker face, but not good enough for Carlisle.

"Oh, please say yes," Carlisle patted him briefly on the back, careful not to touch bare skin. "The kids would be so disappointed. And I know Bella would really love to come. This area of the country is nothing like the east coast. Esme and I know she'll enjoy it."

Charlie snapped out of his daze and slowly nodded. "I suppose it wouldn't do any harm..." he started, looking at him. "You'll...be careful?"

"That's a good man!" Carlisle exclaimed. "And of course we'll be careful. She's as precious to us as our own children."

Carlisle reached over to the garlic and put a few bags into his cart. All the while, he could feel Charlie's eyes on the back of his head.

"So..." Charlie began casually, "sounds like she's really getting along with your kids."

"Chief, you've done a hell of a job with her. She's the nicest kid I've ever met. Smartest one too. Did she tell you that she's tutored every one of my kids in one thing or another since she got here? And Esme tells me by the time she's ready for college she'll have a very nice portfolio ready."

"Er...portfolio?" Charlie asked.

"Interior design," Carlisle laughed. "You should really get her a cell phone. I tell you, it's the only way to talk to anybody under 20 these days. Esme's been mentoring her. She's got a real talent for it. Esme had a client a while back who hated everything she came up with for her. Bella took a shot with a design and the client loved it!"

"I see," said Charlie.

"Between you and me," Carlisle whispered conspiratorially. "Esme's secretly saving everything Bella's done and putting together a portfolio for her. I don't know if you two have talked about college yet, but Esme has some friends in a few universities. With Bella's grades and her work, she won't have any trouble getting into a school. You're a fortunate man, Charlie."

Charlie nodded distractedly. Carlisle knew it was time to end this. The human had taken in enough and would need to process things. The hand in his pocket that was clutching his phone hit the "send" button and a pre-written message for Esme went through. Two seconds later, his phone rang.

"Hey I have to take this," Carlisle said hurriedly as he took out his phone. "It was nice to see you, Chief. And thanks for giving the OK for the trip. The kids will be thrilled!"

With a wave goodbye, Carlisle turned and headed for the nearest cashier to pay. When he was back inside his car, he called his wife who was beside herself with anticipation.

"How did it go?" She asked anxiously.

"Well, I think," he replied. "Yes, I think it went very well. He knows she's been spending time with us, so now he knows people will notice if she disappears or comes to any harm. I can also see that he's perplexed that nothing...explosive has occurred yet in all the time around her. He might start to realize that she's not as volatile as he thinks she is."

Esme sighed audibly. "This is just ridiculous," she said. "I wish we could really talk to him."

"I know, but you know we can't," Carlisle said, the irritation over the situation as clear in his voice as it was in Esme's.

"You did good," she said softly. "Thank you."

"You know what she means to me now," he replied. "I'd do anything..."

"I know," she said. "You're coming home?"

"Yes," he smiled. "I love you."

"Love you too," Esme said.

* * *

Rosalie raised her eyebrows at the bouncing form of Alice that had intercepted her on the way home. She was coming back from dropping Bella off. Even if Alice didn't already know that it would've been obvious...Bella scent was all over her.

"He said yes!" Alice shrieked.

"What are you talking about?" Rosalie huffed. Alice was distracting her from where her mind wanted to be, alone with Bella in her bed like they were for the last hour.

"Charlie. Said. Yes. Your trip." Alice sounded out each word like Rosalie was an idiot. "Bella's free for a whole week."

"Oh," she said in understanding. "Oh!"

"Yes, oh," Alice rolled her eyes. "You've been talking to Tanya?"

She was referring of course, to the head of the Denali coven. If anyone could prepare Rosalie for intimacy with a human, it was the blond succubus in Alaska.

"Mmm," Rosalie replied, now distracted by a whole other set of thoughts that have been with her all summer. "Practically every day."

"Good," Alice said firmly. "I haven't seen anything worrisome. Just...do be careful. You know how fragile she really is."

She nodded, torn between her excitement and her fear of hurting Bella. "And Emmett?" She asked. "Do you see him?"

"He'll be fine, Rose. Just be yourself and give him the attention he needs when you get back."

Rosalie nodded again. "I better go hunt," she said, and after thanking her sister, ran further into the wilderness for a nice, long hunt.

* * *

**Author's note III: Closer and closer! Please tell me what you think! What do you think I should do with Edward? I already have some ideas for him, but I think it would be fun to hear yours. I'm also VERY curious about your thoughts on the relationship(s). I know this is super unusual, and that some of you were pretty aghast about it in the beginning. How do you feel now? **


	36. North

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

* * *

"Are we there yet?" Bella yawned and stretched in the passenger seat of Emmett's jeep. She turned and opened her groggy eyes to gaze at the beautiful sight of Rosalie behind the steering wheel. Bella did not understand her girlfriend's obsession with automobiles, but she could definitely appreciate watching her tinker with a car. Why, she didn't know, but Bella could watch the blonde (and get extremely aroused doing so) working on a car for hours. And she had, in fact, done just that prior to this road trip, when Rosalie made sure the jeep could handle the terrain and the weather.

"Almost," Rosalie laughed. She reached over the console to take Bella's hand. "How can you be impatient when you've slept practically the entire way here?"

"Blame Alice," Bella yawned again as she fingered the cloth of the extremely warm (and extremely expensive) arctic-weather jacket she was wearing. While not exactly fashionable, Alice had, true to form, dragged Bella through the only northern outfitters store in Seattle in order to outfit her for the harsh environment of Northern Canada...no matter how many times Bella insisted the cold wouldn't bother her. She even demonstrated, in front of the whole family, her ability to survive comfortably inside of an industrial freezer for hours at a time. Bella's gift had its uses, that was for sure. But to no avail, Alice had bought Bella a wardrobe she'd never wear.

She felt a buzzing through her thick jacket and took a moment before she realized that it was her phone. It was a text from Alice.

'We only shopped for 6 hours! That's NOT why you're so sleepy.'

Bella chuckled and responded (:P) before gingerly running her thumb over the phone's keys again, replaying the strange conversation she had with Charlie when he gave it to her.

_Knock, knock._

_Bella was startled out of her slumber way too early for her liking. Ordinarily she rose with the sun (when it was even visible through Forks' ever present clouds) but it had taken a long time to fall asleep the night before. Rosalie had been with her._

_There was no one but Bella inside the shed now however, and whoever was outside her door was starting to irritate her with their incessant knocking._

_"It's way too early, Jasp-uh..." Bella shut her mouth when, after opening the door and ready to yell at Jasper for coming so early, she found herself instead face to face with her father._

_Bella instinctively took a step back in alarm, and if her thoughts weren't distracting her so she might have noticed that Charlie had done the same thing._

_Silence. Bella kept her gaze firmly on his face waiting for a hint of malevolence. Charlie didn't look like he was planning to move, much less speak._

_"Hello," Bella said cautiously. The last time she saw him was in town outside the ruins of Newton's burning structure. He had pulled a gun on her in front of Alice and Rosalie, forcing her to use her gifts before he or her vampire friends did anything they'd regret. Since she'd come back the closest she'd come to seeing him was spotting his cruiser from time to time and seeing lights on in the house. Her bike and shed lights were the only things alerting him of her continued existence too, she suspected._

_Charlie didn't respond. He swallowed hard and nodded briefly. Finally, after scrutinizing the ground he managed to look up into his daughter's eyes...before quickly looking down again._

_"I, uh, came to give you this," he said._

_He didn't budge, and Bella raised a confused eyebrow as she waited for him to continue._

_"Oh, yeah. Here you go..." he mumbled as he handed her a shopping bag with a single, open box inside._

_Bella really couldn't help herself-she half-wondered if Charlie was handing her a bomb or something of the sort. But her curiosity overpowered her sense of self-preservation and, cautiously she chanced a look inside._

_"Er, thank you..." she said, truly taken aback that Charlie was giving her a cell phone._

_"Right," he said awkwardly before abruptly turning around and heading for his cruiser._

_"Oh-uh, enjoy that trip," he turned and yelled. "Bye."_

_"Bye..." Bella waved for a few seconds as she stared after him, wondering what in hell just happened._

_A few minutes later, when she remembered she was still standing in front of her open door, Bella turned on her first cell phone. It was a plain flip phone, nothing like the fancy mini computers her friends had. She went to the contacts page so she could add each of the Cullens' numbers but to her utmost surprise, there was already an entry._

_Charlie had added his own number._

A large bump on the road knocked her out of her memory.

"Where exactly is this place anyway?" She asked.

"According to Tanya's coordinates, another mile or so." Rosalie gave her a sheepish smile. "Don't expect the Ritz. She had it put up in just a few days."

"Days?" Bella exclaimed incredulously. "Did she have descendants of the Roman Army to help her?" She mumbled.

Rosalie laughed. "Nope. She's only 1000 years old. The Knights Templar could've helped though. I hear she had a small role to play in that twisted history."

Bella just shook her head, amazed at the company she now kept. "How is...how is Edward dealing with all this?"

She groaned inwardly at Rosalie's growl. "I don't give a rat's ass how he's dealing with this."

Another person would've taken the hint and backed off to avoid trouble, but Bella had strong opinions about this particular conflict of interest and not even the flash in Rosalie's eyes could silence her.

"He's your brother, Rose. He's Carlisle and Esme's son. He's-holy shit, stop the car!"

Rose slammed hard on the breaks, turning in alarm only to find Bella jumping out of the car and slamming her door shut.

"Bella! What is it?"

Bella stood still on the permafrost, outside of the car's glaring headlights. She was staring at the sky in absolute wonder.

Rosalie followed her gaze, then shook her head and smiled. Of course. Her lover had never seen the northern lights. She took in Bella's awed expression and forced herself to look up and see the aurora borealis through new eyes, smiling widely as she did.

Bella felt Rosalie's arms snake around her from behind. And though she thoroughly enjoyed the soft kisses to her hair, Bella couldn't be distracted from what she really wanted to do right now.

A resigned sigh behind her told her Rosalie had caught her drift. "Just let me lock up the car," the blonde said.

A minute later they stood together once more, Bella beside herself with anticipation, before taking off.

* * *

She should've been used to it by now. Bella loved to fly and Rosalie knew she shouldn't panic so much when the girl got the chance to, ah, spread her wings so to speak. But Rosalie did panic, and it was all she could do to keep it off of her face for Bella's sake. Bella was so...human. She truly feared that her gifts made Bella far too nonchalant about her mortality. Bella went about her days without a second thought to her own life. The time she had foolishly stuck her neck out to save her the night they met...her attitude about living next door to a man who had tried to kill her twice...and now she was zooming across the sky, extremely fast, and with nary a thought for the very solid ground hundreds of feet below. So yes, Rosalie was panicking a bit.

"Lighten up, Rose!" Bella yelled as she spun them both into a spiral heading straight up. After what seemed like an eternity they finally met high in the sky, much too high for Rosalie's liking.

"Please stay close to me," Rosalie whispered and grabbed her as tightly as she would allow herself around the waist. She had no intention of letting go until they were both firmly on the ground.

"Ok," Bella whispered back and, still feeling the rush of the impromptu flight, wrapped her arms around the blonde's neck and pulled her in for a long, deep kiss.

Within seconds Rosalie forgot all about the altitude...she practically forgot her own name.

Kissing Rosalie had become Bella's favorite activity of late. Her heart never failed to pound wildly in her chest when Rosalie's lips found their way to hers, and tonight was no exception.

"Wouldn't you rather..." Rosalie murmured in between kisses, "do this somewhere else?" She sighed contentedly as Bella pressed herself even closer inside her arms. "Like inside? In a bed?"

Bella giggled into the kiss. "Is the vampire too scared of heights-hey!"

Rosalie wiggled her finger, the one she had just used to poke her in the belly, in front of Bella's face. "No, but the human should be."

"I do wish you'd have a little more faith in this one," Bella sighed. "It's harmless...easy as blinking for me."

"I know," Rosalie responded, and stroked the younger girl's cheek as she spoke. "I'm trying. It's just...I picture you falling sometimes...and it's the scariest feeling I've ever..."

Bella interrupted her with a gentle kiss. "Shall we descend then?"

"Not if you want to keep flying," Rosalie stated reluctantly but with a small smile. "Just keep me close."

Bella looked at her a for a few moments, aware of the betraying blush appearing on her cheeks.

"Ok I really want to know what you're thinking right now," Rosalie smiled.

"Uh, just that...well, that I'd rather kiss you some more than fly," Bella said quickly, looking down.

If Bella would only look up the sight she'd be greeted with would have melted her heart. Rosalie was looking at her with such a burning determination that it was a wonder Bella didn't feel the heat. Bella was also oblivious to the battle raging within Rosalie at this moment. The blonde's restraint around the delectable human had improved dramatically with all the time the two spent together over the summer. But the desire to feel Bella's body in the closest way possible was sending Rosalie close to the edge once again. Rosalie's imagination was running wild...and so was her lust for Bella's blood.

She focused her gaze onto the girl's hair and away from the curve of her neck. A few moments later she felt safe enough to breathe and savored Bella's scent as she did.

"Look at me," she said. Bella did so, noting in the back of her mind Rosalie's urgent tone...the one she used when she was about to say something of significance.

"You'll always be able to kiss me," Rosalie whispered. "You'll always have me."

It wasn't spoken, but Bella knew that the "forever" was silently implied. Rosalie had never uttered the word out loud in her presence, but the hints Emmett and Alice had given her over the weeks helped her understand how difficult that word was for her girlfriend. Nevertheless, whenever Rosalie spoke to her like this...whenever she looked at her like this, Bella understood perfectly well what Rosalie wanted but could not bring herself to say.

Not one to decline such an enticing invitation, Bella responded to Rosalie's declaration with the wildest, most passionate kiss her body could produce. Completely in control of the wind that kept them afloat, Bella brought their bodies as close together as was physically possible. Her hands...her hands always seemed to have a mind of their own whenever they got this frisky...they were grabbing at Rosalie's shirt with a fervor that might have torn it if Bella was a little physically stronger.

"Mmmm," Rosalie shuddered-Bella's hands were squeezing her ass and running up and down her thighs which were pressed tight around the younger girl's waist.

"Where the hell is this cabin?" Bella grunted impatiently before nipping at Rosalie's lower lip.

Her chuckle reverberated through Bella's body-god, she loved it when they were this physically close to each other-as she tore her tongue and lips away from Bella's mouth.

"This way."

* * *

**Author's note: Put down those pitchforks! There's another chapter...yes another chapter uploaded at the same time. Do you love me again?!**

**Curious to hear what you're thinking about Charlie...**

**Oh, and in case you're wondering ... they're going north to be away from people in case Bella goes kaboom.**

**Please review!**


	37. Fever

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

**Author's note: This chapter and the last together are over 6100 (not including the author's notes) words. That's like 3 of my regular chapters. Hopefully that helps gain me some forgiveness from you for the horribly long wait I made you endure. **

**Author's note II: FINALLY...the Mature rating applies. YAY! All you naughty minded folks: enjoy. If you do not want/like explicit love scenes...what's wrong with you?! Do you hate ice cream and kittens too?**

* * *

"A few days my ass," Bella mumbled. She was eyeing their quarters with an incredulous look. It may not be the Ritz but aside from the Cullens' home these were certainly the nicest accommodations Bella had stayed in...ever.

"Tanya's old school like that," Rosalie explained as she carted their luggage inside. "In her day when traveling was still dangerous it was very important to help travelers. Important guests were showered with gifts. This was so-"

"So that if the hosts find themselves travelling they too could expect to be treated well," Bella finished with a cheshire grin. "I read that book too."

Rosalie crossed her arms. "If you're gonna be cheeky, I'm not making you dinner."

"Oh...darn," Bella put on her best acting skills as she lamented her lost...'treat'. Truthfully, Rosalie was an abysmal cook. Engines and transmissions, she could do with her eyes closed. But pancakes? Bella tried to keep the victorious grin off her face.

One look from Rosalie and she knew she wouldn't be so lucky. Rosalie knew exactly what Bella was thinking and just for that, she had already made up her mind to cook her dinner anyway. Though the bitch factor had been dialed way down since Bella came into their lives, Rosalie was still...Rosalie. She was vindictive and ruthless. That's who she was and always would be. And so Bella would get her dinner, and she'd have to eat it too or risk really hurting her feelings and really getting her mad.

She chose to humor her girlfriend...and lend an inconspicuous helping hand in the kitchen lest her food ends up too poisonous for consumption.

"Tanya's the coven leader, correct? Like Carlisle?" Bella asked. Though Carlisle had given her a good introduction to Vampires a few weeks ago, the word 'coven' still felt funny on her lips.

"Yes," Rosalie replied as she washed the tomatoes in the sink. "Though it really doesn't mean much unless you're dealing with other covens, especially non-vegetarians."

"What do you mean?" Bella asked.

"Vampires are no fairy tale, Bells. Power exchanges, treaties, wars, and a whole lot of death mark our past," Rosalie explained. "When a member of one coven meets another, there are certain customs that must be followed...certain decorum. Much of this has to do with the proper way of addressing the coven leader and when you strike an agreement with the coven. Of course this is assuming both covens are civilized. There are a lot of nomads out there that follow only the bare essential of the rules."

Rosalie didn't elaborate on what that bare essential may be, and Bella didn't need to ask. The ultimate law all vampires had to follow was the law of secrecy. The Cullens, and to a certain extent the Denalis had already broken it with Bella.

"Why do you look so confused?" Rosalie asked. She started to add sugar to the pot before Bella stopped her and handed her the salt instead.

"I guess...I never got that sense of official decorum when you all talk about the Denalis," Bella said. "And certainly not when I hear you speak to them on the phone."

"Carlisle has a theory that our diet is the reason we're so...friendly," Rosalie replied. "Drinking animal blood makes us less ferocious, less territorial. Over the years we've become a family with real emotional attachments to each other. That doesn't happen with normal vampires. So we can be casual with each other and with the Denalis because..."

"Because you're more human than vampire," Bella finished for her, giving her a quick kiss on her shoulder.

Rosalie didn't respond, but Bella could see her trying to hide the pained look from her face. She still hates herself, Bella thought. Watching Rosalie struggle with her existence was difficult for Bella because she hated seeing her in so much pain, but also because it was hard not to reflect on her own destructive life as a result. She knew she shouldn't play a numbers game-every life is precious after all-but how could she not? Bella had single-handedly killed over 500 people. If Rosalie thinks of herself as a monster, then how on earth was Bella to get over her own past?

She opened her mouth to speak, but Rosalie beat her to it.

"When I'm with you it's possible to believe it," she said quietly. "Still not easy though," she smiled bitterly.

Bella responded with a gentle kiss, and would have been content to stay attached to her lips for a while longer if her stomach hadn't chosen that moment to grumble loudly.

"Eat first," Rosalie smiled, handing her a plate of pasta.

Stupid stomach, Bella thought, but took the plate without a word and set about gobbling it down. It was difficult to concentrate on her food though-Rosalie had planted herself directly behind her (a favorite position for her) and was running her hands along her arms and waist. Bella nearly choked on her food when she felt her lips, and then her tongue, caressing the back of her neck. That was a favorite spot for Bella too.

She had to leave her embrace to put her empty plate away and wash her mouth. When she came back to the kitchen Rosalie wasn't there however. Bella stamped down her panic and found her a few moments later on the other side of the cabin. Though it was at least six times bigger than her shed, the cabin was really just one gigantic room. One side was made up of the kitchen, a small eating area and a bathroom off to the side. The other side contained a sitting area and at the very end of the room underneath a rather large skylight, a huge, incredibly difficult to ignore bed. That was where Rosalie stood now, by an open window with her back to Bella.

Bella didn't go to her right away. As she often did when Rosalie was distracted with one thing or another, Bella took her time admiring her girlfriend's beauty. Though her exterior beauty could certainly stop her in her tracks at times, it was the substance behind it that made Bella forget to breathe. Rosalie had such a power inside her. Such determination, conviction and passion. Bella had seen it the night they first met all those months ago. She saw it everyday when she looked into her eyes. And she saw it now in her stance as she watched the colorful night sky.

She took a deep breath before walking up to her and putting a hand in hers.

"You really do make me believe in myself," Rosalie said quietly.

Bella smiled at that. She knew it was an uphill battle, but she was glad that at least tonight Rosalie could see herself as Bella saw her.

"That doesn't mean I can't make mistakes though Bella, especially tonight." She turned to face her. "Please tell me if I do anything, anything to hurt you. You have to help me keep you safe."

Bella nodded. "And you...promise me you'll run if you sense anything."

"It won't come to that," Rosalie said. "Alice-"

"Alice can't see everything, especially with me. Please, you have to help me too."

Rosalie nodded too, and with little warning cupped her face in her hands. "Ok," she whispered, and pulled her in for a kiss. "Ok," she whispered again into her lips before Bella cut off her ability to speak by pressing her body more deeply into hers.

* * *

Bella nearly winced from the pressure in her hand. It wasn't Rosalie's doing though-Bella just couldn't relax her grip on the blonde's neck. A deep, primal part of her feared Rosalie would move away if she let go. She needed to feel her close, needed to feel her skin on hers. Bella felt she could go mad with desire.

Eventually they ended up on the edge of the bed. Rosalie stood above Bella, who felt too dizzy to stand and who was forced to grip the sheets beneath her now that she couldn't reach Rosalie's neck. She tried again to reach up to her face, but Rosalie caught her hand and moved it to the front of her shirt. Bella's hands shook as they undid the buttons, her fingers tracing the soft skin underneath as she progressed down the shirt. An eternity later the shirt was off, and Rosalie wasted no time removing her own bra so that Bella at last had her first sight of her breasts.

"Breathe, Bella," Rosalie said, smiling softly at the younger girl's transfixed gaze.

Bella swallowed hard and took a shaky breath.

"May I?" She asked softly.

Rosalie's smile grew on her face as she nodded. A moment later she closed her eyes in bliss as Bella stood on her knees on the bed and gingerly touched her.

Bella forced herself to memorize this new wonderful sight as her hands followed in her eyes' wake. Her hands spread themselves over the new skin, running down Rosalie's shoulders, her sculpted back, her stomach, and over her breasts. Bella couldn't believe how wonderful the weight of them felt in her hands. She heard Rosalie's breathing change and took that as a sign to give them more attention. Without thinking she leaned down and took one of her protruding buds in her mouth.

She felt Rosalie stiffen and tremble at her touch, which drove Bella wild. Her hands wrapped around her waist and clutched forcibly, bringing her closer into her own body and her mouth. Both of them moaned at the rough sensation. Bella felt herself being pulled up, and she cried out at the momentary loss of contact before Rosalie firmly attached her mouth to hers. So consumed with Rosalie's tongue in her mouth, she almost missed when she started unbuttoning her pants. Rosalie didn't remove them entirely however. Instead she made short work of Bella's sweater and bra before resuming their kiss. Bella groaned when, a second later, she felt Rosalie's hand cup her ass under her pants.

On auto-pilot, Bella suddenly grabbed Rosalie by the neck and pulled down with all her weight, wrapping her legs around her waist at the same time. Rosalie continued her ministrations to her mouth, but complied and lowered them both onto the bed. A wicked grin spread over Rosalie's face as she lightly pinned Bella's arms against the headboard. Bella's moans increased in intensity then suddenly became a strangled hiss-Rosalie was now furiously sucking on her nipple...and had positioned her hips and leg in between Bella's...and was proceeding to thrust into her.

"Oh fuck," Bella panted heavily as he body's rhythm matched Rosalie's, meeting the other girl's as hard as she could. "Fuck, fuck," she moaned.

The pressure on her chest subsided, prompting her to look up. Rosalie's mouth was no longer on her. She met her eyes-she could have easily lost herself in the fire that was raging in Rosalie's eyes-and the two stared at each other in silence for a few moments. Their hips continued their dance.

Without breaking eye contact, Rosalie lowered her mouth onto Bella's other breast and, keeping her mouth open so Bella would have an unobstructed view, flicked her tongue rapidly around her nipple.

Bella's hips bucked, then resumed the now familiar rhythm albeit a little faster. She moaned loudly again and though her eyes never left Rosalie's tongue, her vision started to get fuzzy from the sheer pleasure.

"Rose...please!" Bella's voice no longer sounded familiar to her own ears. She never thought she was capable of such urgency and raw emotion-distinguishable in just those two words.

Rosalie's tongue disappeared from view as she enveloped her nipple into her entire mouth. Bella couldn't believe how good that felt. Rosalie's mouth was cool like the rest of her, but she still felt like she was being burned. Amazing.

She realized her arms were free once again and made use of the opportunity by sitting up slightly and pulling Rosalie up to her. Once her mouth was on hers again, she leaned over and started to take off her pants.

"Have you done this before?" Rosalie whispered as her pants fell to her ankles.

"No," Bella grinned. "But I read a few books."

Rosalie rolled her eyes but had to laugh at that. "Of course you did."

There was just one flimsy piece of fabric separating Rosalie from her. Rosalie stood on the floor by the side of the bed, and Bella held her breath as she slowly peeled her underwear down her legs.

Rosalie stood before her nude.

She didn't know what to say or think. 'Beautiful' just seemed too plain a description for what her eyes were witnessing. There were no words that could do this angel justice. But perhaps she could show her...

So much skin, Bella thought. She kissed her stomach while her hands ran over her back and ass...amazed at the sensation with no clothing in her way. Rosalie pulled her up to stand in front of her. Bella yielded, but continued her silent worship of Rosalie's body with her mouth and hands.

"Mmmm," Rosalie moaned into her ear, thoroughly enjoying Bella's tongue on the nape of her neck.

Suddenly, Bella felt herself be roughly turned around so that Rosalie was now behind her. She bit her lower lip, reeling from Rosalie's mouth burning a trail down her back...while she pushed her pants and panties down her thighs until she too was standing nude.

Bella stood still under the bright skylight. Rosalie wasn't touching her anymore, and the scared, insecure part of her was worried. Her heart pounded loudly in her chest as she turned her head to glance at her girlfriend.

"Don't move," she heard her whisper.

"It's your blood," Rosalie continued as she came into view next to her, though still an arm's length away. "Your body...I want to claim it."

"And that's bad?" Bella asked.

"That's bad," she confirmed. "I can't...let myself get so worked up that I can't think. If I give in to that vampire need to mark you...to claim you...you're dead."

"Should I...should I help you a little?" Bella asked. "With my scent..."

Rosalie was silent for a moment before she spoke again. "It can't hurt. Very well, go ahead."

Bella concentrated and every window in the cabin opened to its widest. Seconds later, several strong gusts of air blew through in every direction but Rosalie's, carrying Bella's scent away. Bella kept this up until Rosalie's eyes, which were significantly darker than they had been earlier, resorted to their usual amber.

"That's good. Thank you," Rosalie sighed. "I'm sorry."

"Can I touch you now?" Bella asked impatiently. As soon as she saw Rosalie nod, she bounded over to her and cupped her face into her hands. "Don't be a silly vampire. We knew something like this could happen. You were brilliant!"

Rosalie slowly nodded, but she still looked down and apologized again.

"Rosalie Hale," Bella started sternly. "If you don't wipe that guilty look from your face and kiss me right this second, I'll-"

Thankfully there was no need to finish her threat, nor would there be reason to carry it out. Rosalie took the hint and wrapped her arms around the younger girl as her lips granted Bella's command.

This time, both girls relished the delight of being able to touch each other without pesky clothing in the way. Bella didn't think she could ever tire of feeling Rosalie's full, nude body on hers.

Suddenly, Bella's thoughts turned to images that had driven her wild during the last months...images of what she longed to do with Rosalie...longed to do to her. With a start she realized she could now. There was nothing else standing in her way.

"Rose?" She mumbled, aware her face must be beet red but drawing on all her courage anyway.

"Yes?"

"I want...I want to taste you."

Silence. She could feel Rosalie's smile through her body. "Do you now?" She whispered.

"I want that too."

* * *

Bella stumbled forward and pushed Rosalie back onto the bed.

Rosalie stretched back and opened her body up for Bella, who stood above her drinking in the sight. The bright night sky filtered down through the skylight and onto Rosalie's body. She could see traces of the northern lights reflecting off of Rosalie's lightly shimmering skin. Bella's heart hammered dangerously fast in her chest but there was nothing she could do to slow it down. Doubt once again ran through her...she really didn't know what she was doing. Rosalie had years upon years of experience on her.

If her insecurities were strong, her desire to touch Rosalie was debilitatingly stronger. She was right there. Beneath her. Open and waiting. All other thoughts...everything else in the universe took a backseat in Bella's mind as she crawled atop the angel on the bed.

"Will you help me?" Bella asked tentatively. She started moving down her body, savoring every mouthful of Rosalie as she got closer and closer to her goal.

"You're doing very well," Rosalie sighed contentedly. "But yes I'll he-oh Christ!"

Bella's hands were clutching tightly around Rosalie's open thighs, and her mouth...Rosalie sat up slightly to take in the sight of Bella's face in between her legs, and fell down again, overwhelmed with the pleasure.

As for Bella, she let her mind shut down and her instincts take over...precisely what Rosalie could not do. All that mattered was Rosalie's pleasure and by extension her own. This. Was. Heaven. _She_ was making Rosalie shake. _She_ was why Rosalie had to ball her fists tightly around the sheets. _She_ was the reason for the moans and grunts coming from Rosalie's throat. Bella was a master musician tonight...and Rosalie was the instrument she was born to play.

The sharp intake of breath from Rosalie brought some awareness back to her, just in time for her to feel the blonde clench her thighs tightly, and to see her hips rising haphazardly off of the bed.

"Oh my god!" Rosalie cried out. "Ohhh!" She continued to writhe on the bed for another minute before collapsing. Bella felt a hand caress her hair and looked up, thoroughly mesmerized by the sight of a spent Rosalie.

"What the hell books have you been reading?"

"This and that," Bella chuckled as she slithered up to Rosalie's side and continued to shower her lover with kisses.

"I'm impressed," Rosalie purred into her ear.

Bella's delighted grin melted into one of contentment as Rosalie maneuvered herself so she was on top. Cautiously, the older girl touched her lips to her neck. Some part of Bella's mind knew she should be worried, that this was tempting fate...but at that moment Bella honestly did not care. If she died that night, having lived this very night, then she'd have no complaints. Rosalie's tongue was running down her neck to her collarbone now, and Bella involuntarily arched her back...dying to get closer and to feel more...to feel more.

"I've been picturing this..." Rosalie murmured as her hands and mouth caressed her breasts, "dreaming of this," she continued along her stomach, "imagining you beneath me just like this...for so damn long."

Bella's breathing quickened with anticipation as she felt the cool air from Rosalie's mouth between her legs.

And then it happened.

Rosalie's lips descended to her core...and Bella immediately saw flames.

Pleasure. So much pleasure...and pain. The fire she felt between her legs, and the fire burning within her were unlike anything she had ever felt before. Her breathy moans filled the room, quiet and deafening at the same time. The sensations...it was as if every nerve had multiplied a thousandfold. Her body swung back and forth between the mind blowing sensuality playing out between her legs, and the tortuous burning that flowed through the rest of her body.

If only she could trap the pendulum on Rosalie's side. Every cold breath on her inner lips...every change of pace from Rosalie's tongue sent her moaning and thrashing into her face. At the same time, she could feel her heart begin to give way. The terrible, familiar coiling began.

"So warm" Rosalie moaned into her. "So wet..."

Then everything stopped-or rather, everything inside Bella stopped. As if in slow motion, she felt Rosalie's fingers lightly brush along her opening. Rosalie sank her sensitive nub deeper into her mouth...and pushed firmly inside her.

Eyes, that had been screwed shut in ecstasy and pain, opened.

And, luckily for the blonde who until then was oblivious to the blissful agony she was inflicting on her girlfriend, the arduous months of training finally paid off.

Hundreds of feet above them, the sky burst into flames. Through the skylight, Bella witnessed clouds of hot fire rolling violently, obscuring the northern lights. Inside the cabin the red glow from the flames above surrounded the girls and finally clued Rosalie in on what was happening.

"Bella?" Rosalie studied her in alarm, ready to stop.

But Bella had found her way back. She sensed the pause and hissed. "Don't...stop," she cried out. "I'm in control. Please don't stop."

Her eyes stayed fixed on the red sky, spellbound by it. She couldn't believe the joy that was emanating from inside her. She had done it. She had finally tamed the monster. It was still there, still part of her, but it did not control her anymore. Hotter, she thought...and the flames glowed blue from the increased heat. Faster...and the sea above rolled faster and faster. Command after command, the flames obeyed her without resistance and without hesitation.

The triumph she felt could only be outdone by Rosalie's administrations to her sex.

The build-up had begun long ago. All the while her eyes danced with the flames, Bella's body had been moving. As her control over the fire solidified, her control over her own body melted into oblivion. Her throat was producing sounds she'd never heard before. Her legs were spreading themselves farther out than they'd ever been. Her hips were moving at a fast and heated pace around Rosalie's fingers...and they were getting faster and more violent. Much, much faster.

Rosalie sensed the changes in her body. With a harsh growl, she dialed up her pace another notch...and another...and another.

Bella's eyes widened. Her face tightened. Her legs froze and her hips spasmed. She stopped breathing for a full thirty seconds as her whole body jerked uncontrollably around Rosalie's hand and mouth, before she finally collapsed with a loud guttural moan.

* * *

Fuck...fuck...fuck.

"Fuck...fuck...fuck," Bella whispered to herself, over and over.

"Indeed..." Rosalie agreed before changing her tone. "Are you ok?" She asked gently.

Bella had to think about it. "Uh...I don't...yeah...yes I think so."

Rosalie chuckled softly. "I think you need to sleep, little human."

"Mmm," was all the reply Bella could muster.

"Sleep now," Rosalie whispered as she gave her the slightest of kisses. "We'll talk about what happened tomorrow."

That certainly sounded like a good idea to the exhausted Bella, who could hardly keep her eyelids open. Bella let herself be wrapped in Rosalie's arms. Seconds were all she needed before slumber overtook her.

Rosalie continued to kiss her on the cheek for quite some time, until she too closed her eyes and held still for the closest thing to sleep she could emulate.

"I'm so proud of you Bells. I love you."

* * *

**Author's note III: Well there you go. These last two chapters took forever in part because I was scared shitless of writing this scene. This is my first go at a sex scene. HOW erotical writers do this on a regular basis, I do not know. Seriously my head has been in the gutters the last couple of weeks. How do they do it?!**

**If you haven't reviewed yet, pleeeease do so now. I just bared my soul to you! And the wonderful readers who faithfully review...I love you. I really do, and I can't wait to hear from you again.**


	38. Repose

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

**Author's note I: Some more Mature smut in the beginning for ya. Enjoy.**

* * *

She didn't wake up confused or alarmed. She didn't need a moment to adjust to this new reality. As she slowly crossed over from dreams to wakefulness Bella only felt a new sense of belonging. Everything was good. Everything was right. She was used to it before she got a chance to marvel at its novelty. There was no point trying to wonder how she ever drew a breath before this day.

"Hello." Rosalie's musical greeting made her smile.

"Hi," Bella whispered into her neck. She stretched and used the opportunity to slide deeper into Rosalie's arms.

"This sleeping thing's gonna wear my patience to the bone," Rosalie grumbled into her hair.

Bella chuckled and nipped at the other girl's neck. "Are you trying to hint at something?"

Rosalie's low growl surprised her and she looked up.

"I'm not in a mood for hints, Bella," Rosalie whispered. Her grip on Bella's hip tightened slightly. "Please..."

Bella stilled for a moment and looked at her, really looked at her. She was slightly torn between wanting to give her girlfriend some relief and enjoying the look of absolute need on Rosalie's face. Quickly, she told her mind to memorize this sight as she moved on top of her and started to kiss her deeply. Out of the corner of her eyes she saw that Rosalie had moved her arms over her head and behind her. She would not allow herself to touch the fragile human until she calmed down, Bella suspected.

There was no time to waste. Rosalie hissed and arched her back as Bella wrapped her lips around one of her nipples and bit with everything she had. Rosalie's moans rang in her ears. Her right hand roughly squeezed the other neglected breast in front of her as her left hand spread Rosalie's thighs apart. She let her hand slide through the wetness that coated Rosalie's skin but did not move any closer. Bella wasn't trying to torture her...it was just that Rosalie's breasts were so goddamn distracting. They were so full, so voluptuous, so friggin perfect that Bella's brain turned into veritable mush at the sight and feel of them.

Finally, Rosalie had enough, and she let Bella know with another loud and drawn out growl. Bella reluctantly released the hard nipple from her mouth and without any further ado, thrust two fingers inside Rosalie.

Neither of them blinked as they stared one another down. Bella's body moved with her hand as she pumped in and out of the panting blonde. Rosalie was absolutely soaked. She was sure the sheets beneath her were too, and she tried not to think about how wet she herself must be right now. It wasn't difficult. A volcano could erupt outside the cabin door and Bella would probably never notice it. All her attention was focused on the moving, glistening body beneath her. Her Rosalie.

"More..." Rosalie gasped. "Fingers...more fingers," she added at Bella's confused look.

Bella tried not to blush but the outcome of that was in doubt. She added another finger, then another, and moaned a little herself at Rosalie's reaction. Her confidence slowly returned as Rosalie's moans grow in volume and intensity. Last night...what was that thing that Rosalie had done that drove her crazy? Oh yeah...

"Ahhh, fuck! Fuck, fuck, yes!" The words tumbled out of Rosalie's mouth in one long grunt when she felt Bella curling her fingers up. Bella couldn't help the grin that adorned her face. Who would've ever thought that giving pleasure like this could feel so damn good? She kept her fingers curled and pressed as hard as she could into the upper wall just inside Rosalie's opening.

Rosalie's hips moved back and forth, but not as fast as Bella was trying to and could go.

"Can't...I'll crush you if I move...fuck, if I move any faster," Rosalie panted as she answered Bella's silent question.

She could see that Rosalie was straining not to move her arms either. She knew it was worse for her, but Bella really wished she could feel Rosalie's arms hug her close the way she had done herself last night. Bella wanted to be surrounded by nothing but Rosalie. Damn human frailty, she thought.

Rosalie's grunts filled the big room as they only got more frantic. Bella's body moved hard along with her hand, her own hot sweat dripping onto Rosalie's cold flesh and exciting the blonde even more.

"Oh god! Oh god oh god oh god!" And Rosalie could say no more as her eyes screwed shut and her hips lifted clean off the bed while her inner walls convulsed around Bella's fingers.

When she finally fell back Bella fell right along with her...right back into her breasts.

* * *

_Ring, Ring._

Emmett scrambled to get the phone before Alice and succeeded even though she had obviously foreseen the call. He stuck out his tongue at her as he answered.

"Rosie!" He grinned widely. "Finally! You remembered your hands were good for other things, huh?"

"Emmett!" Rosalie reprimanded. Behind him, Esme and Carlisle echoed Rosalie's embarrassment. Alice and Jasper just sniggered in the background.

"Oh come on!" Emmett whined. "As I'm the third wheel this week I should get some fringe benefits. And I want details woman!"

"You'll get details if you can last the rest of the week without a single video game," Rosalie said. "Handheld too."

"You're on!"

Emmett moved off with the phone to his room for some privacy. The rest of the family, though eager to speak to Rosalie and Bella, understood and did not follow.

"You're ok? You're both all right?" He asked softly.

He could practically hear her smile. "Yeah, Em," she said. "We're both fine. I miss you. She does too. She misses everyone but I think she misses you the most."

Emmett grinned. "I'm her BFF. Of course she misses me. Did you tell her about the new console?"

She laughed. "No...kinda got distracted. But I'll mention it next chance I get."

* * *

Jasper didn't particularly care for eavesdropping on his siblings' conversation, but he did pay close attention to Emmett's emotions from the other room. Part of him, parts of all of them really, was concerned about the triad. It was not the norm. It was different and that scared most people and kept them from pursuing it. They weren't wrong or right per se to avoid complicating a romance with more people. It's just that it took so much work for these relationships to thrive. Jasper had seen some varieties of polyamory here and there among humans during his long life, but he'd never been able to see one evolve up close. But one thing that was clear even from a distance...there was so much love between them. Emmett's feelings for Rosalie, for Bella were devoid of bitterness or jealousy. Rosalie, he knew could barely contain her love for her mates. And Bella...the last time he saw her he had been struck by her closeness with Emmett. Though her heart always beat fastest for Rosalie, it was Emmett more than any of them that made her feel safe and relaxed. Bella dearly loved him too.

Bonds are malleable, always subject to change. But Jasper found himself quietly rooting for his family, Bella included. He really wanted this to work. They all did.

* * *

Twenty feet away from where she was standing, a bare bush slowly burned to ash. Nearby, another bush burst into flame. Bella took a few deliberate breaths. She wasn't sure which of the two strong emotions she was feeling, anger and sadness, would win in this tug-o-war...and she didn't care.

"Are you going to burn the entire Yukon province?" Rosalie asked as she slowly walked up behind her.

Another patch of grass lit up, and Bella watched the fire snake around as it followed the pattern her gaze dictated.

"No," Bella replied quietly. "I'm sorry. It helps."

The vampire stopped moving when she reached her, and she carefully put her hand in hers.

"I'd be lying if I said I was over it," Rosalie said. "But it's been so long, Bella. I'm healing."

Bella swallowed hard and nodded. "I'm so sorry, Rose."

Rosalie turned so she could pull Bella into a hug. They stood like that for a long time, Bella's tears falling steadily while Rose could only imagine her own tears that would never come. Bella held her with all of her strength, and she hoped that her actions conveyed her love and support...because right now she couldn't find any appropriate words in response to hearing about Rosalie's last night as a human. There just weren't any words.

* * *

Charlie slowed down as he got closer to the shed. The sun was out and looked like it would be a fine day. Ordinarily he'd make use of the rare good weather and go for an impromptu fishing trip. But for the first time in a long time, his heart just wasn't in it.

He unlocked the door and stepped inside. She's neat, he thought as he surveyed Bella's home. Nothing like her mother. Eyebrows shot up when he spotted the unmistakable shape of a small fire extinguisher lying beside the small fridge. There was another one by the couch. What the hell? What did that mean? Is she just overly cautious or does she actually need those things? He looked at the tags on the ones he could see-unbroken seals. Ok then.

The fridge barely contained anything-a few condiments and a jar of pickles...much like his fridge in fact-but he reasoned she probably ate more with the Cullens. She had to with the time she spent over there. She certainly didn't look hungry the last time he saw her.

What the hell am I doing here, he thought with a sigh. He said down heavily on the couch then yelped as he had landed on a particularly pointy section. He didn't stay on that couch for long and instead sat down at the table. His hands were clenching dangerously tight and he picked up a book to keep them busy. He flipped through a few pages and stopped, surprised at what he saw. It was a sketchbook. Damn, Carlisle wasn't exaggerating. The pages were littered with drawings of buildings, furniture, and floor plans. He took in every page, and it wasn't lost on him the stark difference between Bella's imagination and what her current home looked like.

This was too much. He needed to leave. Fishing. He'd go fishing. He loved that. The sketchbook was carefully set aside where he'd found it and he stood to leave...and found himself face to face with two holes in the wall. Charlie swallowed the lump in his throat as he traced the indentations his bullets made all those months ago. The bullets were gone, but their imprint was unmistakable.

So much for fishing. Charlie knew he'd spend the rest of the day patching those holes. And he thought he knew of a way to fix that couch.

* * *

"Rosalie, I'll be fine."

"I don't like this."

"I'll read a little then go to sleep. It's my fault you have to go so far to hunt anyway."

"Bella, I can't. I can't just leave you here for hours like that."

"No, Rose. What you can't do is drive all day tomorrow with me in the car without hunting first. You know that."

Rosalie sighed heavily. Bella stared her down, knowing she'd made her point. She never felt anything but safe with the blonde, but her eyes were much darker than their norm. Rosalie had gone to hunt one other time this week and had barely found a morsel for herself. They suspected the fireworks from their first night had driven all the big game away. She would have to travel much further tonight. And Bella was right...she'd need the time to get a good hunt before a long road trip with a human.

"You'll call me if you need anything?" Rosalie looked so defeated.

Bella smiled and rolled her eyes. "Does tucking me in qualify?"

She was directly in front of her in an instant. "For you? Yes, you annoying human." Rosalie used up the last of her strength to gently kiss her on the lips.

A moment later she was gone.

"I love you," Bella whispered to the empty room.

Bella was going to read, but ended up mulling over the materials used in the kitchen cabinetry. It was a light, almost white color that went very nicely with the dark hardwood floor beneath. She wished she could move this cabin to Forks. It was perfect...not just for its aesthetics but because of the memories it now held. The blush was impossible to stop, but since there was no one here to laugh Bella let her mind wander and replayed every wonderful moment she'd experienced over the last week with Rosalie. She'd have to thank the Denali's for their part in making it happen...if she could even attempt that with a straight face.

She looked at her watch. Rosalie's been gone for half an hour. It was now or never.

The plan she had been toying with for the last two weeks, ever since she found out where their vacation was going to be, came to the forefront of her mind. She had avoided making decisions or thinking too hard about what could or would happen for a specific reason. Moments after she finally made the decision, her phone started ringing. No caller ID necessary for this call.

"Alice," Bella greeted her friend.

"Are you insane?!" Alice wasn't screaming but she was pretty close to it. "Are you certifiable?! You can't! You absolutely can't!"

"Will it work?" Bella asked quietly.

"That doesn't matter!" Alice shrieked. "You can't do this Bella! Rosalie will flip!"

"It'll work, won't it?" Bella continued. "Please, Alice. Tell me the truth. Will it work? Will they be ok? Will I return ok?"

Alice's sigh was audible. "Yes...if nothing else changes. You know how my gift works. I don't see everything."

"But you see Esme and Carlisle, don't you?" Bella asked, gripping the phone tightly in her hand. "Will they be happy?"

Silence.

"Alice, I have to do this," Bella said as she put on her shoes. "Rosalie will never agree to come, and if by some miracle she does it won't end well, will it? I'm making the decision to tell her now. I'm insisting on it. What will happen?"

"Damn it, Bells," Alice sighed. "She tries to kill him again. They have to ask you and her to leave."

"And he doesn't come back," Bella finished.

"Why are you doing this?" Alice asked, desperate. "After everything he did? Knowing how much he hates you?"

Bella closed her eyes and reaffirmed her decision...to remind Alice why.

"For Esme," she said quietly. "And for Carlisle."

Alice sighed again. "Bella, be careful. I know you're fast...but there are nomads everywhere, especially in cold places. Don't stop, no matter what, until you get there. And don't stop until you're back in the cabin. I'll give Tanya a heads up."

"Thank you. Can you-can you see Rosalie? How long do I have?"

Pause.

"She's still running. So far she's planning a long hunt, probably 5 or 6 hours knowing her. But that can change any time."

"I'll leave her a note," she replied, already at work writing it. "Thank you Alice."

"I still think you're crazy. And Rosalie _will_ go nuts if she beats you back. I won't lie if she calls me."

"I wouldn't ask you to. I'll handle Rosalie. Thank you Alice," Bella said again.

After hanging up and without a moment to lose, Bella stepped outside and in a burst of fiery speed, made her way to Denali.

* * *

**Author's note II: OK please don't go all hatin' on me in the reviews. I know most of you despise Edward, but my aim for this fic has always been to maintain a sense of realism despite all the fantastic elements we have. I can't just leave him to on the periphery in lala land the whole time. That would be way too good to be true. I DO have plans for him. Muahaha. **

**Author's note III: You know what will make a happy, happy weekend for Darcy? Reviews, reviews, of course! **


	39. Denali

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

**Author's note: This might seem like a filler chapter but it's actually pretty cruical. Enjoy! And damn it, REVIEW!**

* * *

The large house stood about a mile away deep in the valley. If the lights weren't shining out of every window she may have missed it entirely. The terrain here was extremely difficult to navigate, but she managed the trip largely thanks to her studying scores of maps at the Seattle Public Library in preparation. Though flying was her preferred mode of travel, Bella refrained from spreading her wings for all but a fraction of the trip. The last thing she needed to deal with was somebody seeing _that_.

Deep breath. They can probably smell you now, she thought. Alice would've called them. They're prepared. Don't screw this up, she growled at herself.

Her steps through the valley were steady, but her heart, she knew, betrayed her. That house contained six vampires, five of whom she's never met. Her own safety didn't really cross her mind. The explorations of her gift that she had conducted this past week with Rosalie put her at ease where her safety was concerned. Fire was almost too easy now. It came to her with little effort on her part. No, Bella wasn't worried about her health. She worried about the ramifications of this visit. So much could happen...

She was a few feet from the front door. Inside, the unmistakable sound of a television ended abruptly. Bella counted to five and rang the doorbell.

Are all vampires drop dead gorgeous? The thought echoed through her mind when the door opened to reveal Tanya Denali standing in front of her.

Even if Rosalie hadn't described her in detail Bella would've known this was her. It made sense that the coven leader would answer the door when an uninvited guest showed up. Vampire propriety and all. Oh yeah...stop gawking and do this right!

"Hello, Tanya," Bella said in the most polite tone she could muster. "I'm Bella Swan. May I please come in?"

* * *

A chuckle escaped Tanya's lips-the first sound Bella heard from her, from any of them since she stepped into the lion's, er, vampire's den.

"There's nothing normal about you, is there?" Tanya's eyes glinted as she spoke. Around her, the two other blondes, Kate and Irina, smiled all the while keeping their eyes on the human girl.

"Um, Alice did call, right?" Bella asked, apprehensively.

"Yes," Kate replied, still smiling. "Nearly restarted our hearts, that one."

"Carmen and Eleazar took Edward to hunt," Irina added. "They should be back any minute."

Bella gulped. Next to these succubi, Edward was a piece of cake. She could handle Edward's bloodlust. She wasn't sure she could handle the strange looks these ancient vampires were giving her.

"We made you coffee," Tanya said, her face lighting up. "Are you brave enough to try it? First time any of us used the kitchen..."

How badly can they screw up coffee?

"Sure," Bella smiled politely. "Thank you, that was very kind."

"Don't thank us yet..." She heard Kate mumble.

Bella followed Tanya and her sisters into the kitchen and took the mug offered to her. Cheers God, she said to herself before taking a cautious sip. Horrible, but not poisonous...she hoped.

"It's good," she said and took another sip.

Tanya smiled wider and they all continued to stare at Bella as she quickly downed the rest of the cup.

"My god, she smells delicious," Kate whispered out loud.

"You gotta hand it to Rosalie for not feeding on her first chance she got. I don't think I could resist," Irina whispered back.

Oh shit.

"Um," Bella cleared her throat and blushed. "You know I can hear you, right?"

"Oh! My goodness that's right," Tanya said. "That's how you found out..."

"Yes," Bella replied. "Sorry, I don't mean to listen in. I can't really turn it off, you know?"

"I suppose we do," Tanya said slowly. "How good is your hearing anyway?"

"Nothing like yours," Bella blushed again. "I can hear people and nature from a great distance away if I concentrate. Vampires? Generally I need to be in the same room, or close to it to hear their voices."

"So she wouldn't have heard Edward whining on the way here? That's fortunate for her!" A soft, masculine voice reached her.

Bella looked towards the other side of the room where Edward and, she presumed, Eleazar and Carmen had come in through a patio door.

She quickly stood up to greet the remaining members of Tanya's coven.

"Eleazar. Carmen," Bella nodded towards each of them. "Hello, I'm-"

"Bella Swan," Carmen finished for her. "Well Bella, to say we've heard a lot about you would be _quite_ the understatement."

Right, then. She chose not to reply to that and instead caught Edward's eye. The last time she saw him he had caused her heart to break into a thousand pieces. He had left her no choice but to run away from the only family she had. She wanted to hate him. Hell, she had every right to. But Bella was never one to harbor such malevolence for others. Looking at him now, Bella felt only a twinge of pity for the boy. Even if she accomplished her goal and convinced him to return to Forks, she knew he would find the transition unbearably difficult. Edward was not popular in the Cullens' home. Esme and Carlisle would welcome him, she knew, but the others would not...at least not at first. That had to be hard, she thought, especially as he'd be able to hear every negative thought sent his way from his siblings.

Bella turned to speak but found herself distracted by the furtive glances the sisters kept giving Eleazar, and then her. Eleazar noticed her confusion and stepped forward.

"Forgive me, Bella," he stated softly. "I don't mean to make you uncomfortable. It's just...well, do you know about my ability?"

Yes, she knew. "You can tell what a person's gift is."

"Yes," he said. "I understand you're highly gifted and wanted to see for myself...but I'm not getting anything."

Bella raised a brow. "You don't see a gift?"

"No, no...I don't see _anything_," he said, looking around him. "There's no gift...but there's also no absence of a gift...I see nothing at all..."

He paused and looked at her closely some more. Next to him, Edward cocked his head, obviously listening to the man's thoughts.

"Of course," Edward whispered, still staring at Eleazar as his mind churned. "She's a shield."

Suddenly Kate darted forward and grabbed Bella's arm. Bella, fully aware of Kate's powers, instantly braced herself for the pain...but none came.

"Damn," Kate whistled. "She's a shield, all right. That jolt should've killed her!"

Edward growled. "You touched her with full power? Are you insane?"

"Oh relax, Eddie," Kate drawled. "You're so strung up you can't hear when I exaggerate. Of course I didn't touch her with full power." She grinned wickedly. "Bet she'd like it if I did..."

"That's enough," Tanya said quietly. Bella couldn't help but admire the force in her voice. Carlisle never used such a tone, at least never in front of her. She wasn't sure if this was a coven leader thing or a blonde thing...because Rosalie had the same quality.

"Bella," she started. "I'm sure all of us are in agreement on this question...how are you with your control? I understand you've been working at it all sum-"

The fireplace across the room, dark and barren save for a couple of logs a second ago, burst into life as a roaring fire ignited and continued to crackle inside it.

"Oh my," she whispered.

From the corner of her eyes, Bella saw each member of the family take a wavering step back. Damn it, she thought.

"I would never hurt you," she said quietly. "Certainly not intentionally, and accidents don't happen anymore."

"Of course," Tanya whispered. "I'm sorry for our reaction. To be perfectly honest I don't think we fully believed your existence until now."

"Extraordinary..." Eleazar muttered. "And she's not even a vampire yet..."

Both Edward's and Bella's fists clenched at that. Bella looked down, missing the curious glance Tanya sent her way.

"We're being quite rude," Tanya finally said. "Bella, you wanted to have a word with Edward?"

"Right, yes," Bella replied as she looked his way once again. "Edward, I can keep my scent away from you if we step outside."

He nodded quickly and headed out the door. Bella paused before following him and turned to the coven leader.

"With your permission?" She asked.

Tanya smiled softly and nodded.

"Thank you," Bella said. "And...thank you for the cabin. It meant a lot to me that you'd do that for us."

When none of them looked like they were going to respond, Bella hurriedly nodded her goodbye and left after Edward.

* * *

The night stretched on along with the mountains. There were too many clouds in this area which obscured the bright stars. Bella could hardly see twenty feet in front of her and instead relied on Edward's shimmering figure to guide her. They walked several feet apart for what felt like a long time but was probably only a few minutes. Still, when Edward finally stopped the house looked to be at least a mile or two away.

"I'd rather not listen to their thoughts," he explained quietly.

They probably can't smell my scent anymore either, she thought. Rosalie's voice rang in her mind. _Be careful_.

"Why are you here?" He asked suddenly, turning to face her.

Bella looked at him and sighed. "I'm here to ask you to come back home."

Edward let out an incredulous chuckle. "Really, you _are_ insane."

"Esme's been calling you everyday," Bella said. "That doesn't mean anything to you?"

To his credit, it took only the mention of Esme's name for him to look wracked with guilt. He quickly got agitated and moved off to lean onto a tree. Before he did though, Bella spotted his eyes and cursed at herself for forgetting to do as she promised. A second later, strong gusts picked up around them and carried her scent away from Edward.

"Of course it does," Edward whispered as he studied the tree. "Bella, I'm very sorry for the things I said to you."

That was fast. "Thank you," she replied. "But you know that's not enough."

"What?"

Bella sighed. "Sorry-I mean, I'm not the only person you should be apologizing to. You wronged Rosalie too. And Emmett."

"Rosalie and Emmett..." he muttered darkly. "So you've really gone ahead with it then?"

Try not to set him on fire, she thought to herself. "If you're asking if I've entered into a relationship with Rosalie, then yes I have."

The branch Edward was clutching tore down the middle. "It won't work," he whispered. "There can only be one mate. It won't work."

Don't set him on fire, she repeated to herself. "Forgive me for being blunt...but do you have any experience on which to base that theory?"

This time he reacted with a laugh. A snide, derogatory laugh, but a laugh nonetheless. "No, no I suppose I don't," he said. "But come on, Bella! Is this really what you want for yourself? To always be the third wheel? To be the 'other woman'? To always have to explain to people what you are to her?"

Bella closed her eyes and counted to 10. "I love her, Edward. That's all that matters. She's my mate."

"You use that word like you understand what it means," he snarled. "You think you're the first one she's had an affair with?"

Twenty yards away, a large clearing at the foot of the mountain exploded so violently there appeared to be a lake of lava now in its place.

Edward took several steps back. "I thought you were in control..."

"I am," she growled back. "I _chose_ to set the grass on fire and not your head."

She turned to face him, anger still pouring out of her eyes. "I don't have to justify or explain anything to you, but since you asked _so nicely_," she snarled herself and stepped towards him as he took a step back, "I'll say this just once. What goes on between Rosalie and me is none of your business. What goes on between Rosalie and Emmett, and between all three of us is none of your business. And if Emmett and Rosalie and I decide to get it on and buy matching rings to celebrate our sinful, degenerate life together, the only thing you're allowed to say is "congratulations. Good luck. I'm happy for you."

When she finally felt herself calm down, Edward was standing with his back against the tree. His hair was covered in ash from the burnt leaves above. Deflated, Bella backed away from him and sat heavily on the ground.

"Edward I don't want it to be 'none of your business,'" she sighed. "Your family is my family now, which makes you my brother. I hate that you're out here away from everybody. Forget Rosalie and Emmett. I know you feel something for Esme and Carlisle. You're killing them like this. They want you back. Please, Edward, you're their son."

She looked up to see him pacing back and forth in front of her. Occasionally he'd stop and look her way but just as quickly he'd resume until he finally stopped on the other side of the clearing. Bella didn't want to beg, but she knew she'd do it if it came down to it. All summer she had forced herself to pretend not to notice Esme's sadness. All summer she tried not to let her guilt overtake her or distract her from training. No, she knew she was not responsible for him leaving...but in a sense she did feel some measure of responsibility.

She watched him carefully, looking for a sign. At least the bitterness was gone from his face. Instead he looked blankly out towards the mountains. He stood still in the way only a vampire can stand. Bella found her thoughts wandering for a while and counted her own heartbeats to pass the time. The minutes ticked by, and still he remained unmoving, unwavering in his gaze.

"Your blood still calls to me," he finally said.

"I'll shut it up," she countered, then sighed. "I can work harder to keep my scent down for you. It's much easier now that there are no secrets. I can help you if you'll let me."

"Bella," he called softly as he turned around. "Is there anything I can say? Anything at all...that might get you to reconsider your situation?"

He was trying for diplomacy, she could see that, but his words still cut her like a knife. His eyes though, showed her he was genuinely concerned. So she focused on them even though she couldn't understand most of the emotions flashing through them.

"My situation...? Edward, I found the person who completes me. End of story."

A faint light extinguished from his eyes. "And have you forgotten about the Volturi? Both of our covens will be held accountable should they ever find out about this."

Bella was beginning to tire and she still had the journey back to contend with. She sighed, "I'm going to rely on Carlisle's judgement here and agree with him that the Volturi have better things to do than knock on our door. What they don't know can't hurt anyone, right?"

"Right..." He whispered. "I think I need to hunt again. Tell...tell Esme I'll be home soon."

And just like that, he was gone. Bella sighed in relief, just barely comprehending that she had accomplished her goal and grateful that she hadn't blown him up trying. The cell phone in her pocket was useless right now-Charlie probably didn't think she'd be trying to make any calls from uninhabited Alaska when he purchased her plan. Calling Alice was impossible. So she concentrated on clearing her mind and calming her emotions, and made the decision to return to the cabin as quickly as possible.

* * *

Her heart fell the moment she felt the phone buzz in her pocket. Missed call. Missed call. Missed call. You said you could handle it, she thought to herself bitterly. She didn't dare pause outside the cabin. The second she reached the door she took a deep breath and stepped inside, where Rosalie sat waiting for her.

* * *

**Author's note II: Please, please review! I was a little miffed that fewer people reviewed the last chapter. People, I don't get paid for this so the only tangible thing I get out of it is hearing what you think. Yea, a little narcissistic I know. Review anyway!**

**See if you can pick up on the clues I left here for ya. They're rather integral to the plot :)**


	40. Storm

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.

**Author's note I: I told a lot of you that this would be out "soon" or in a couple of days, so I'm very sorry my words weren't true. I'm on vacation this week and I stupidly thought I'd have plenty of time to keep my word...except my vacation happens to be at a fitness/health bootcamp (say what? Yeah, everyone I know thinks I'm crazy too) and I've been working out to my max 6 hours a day all week. Needless to say I've been collapsing into bed every night this week before 7:30 PM. Getting 200 words out each night has been nothing short of a miracle. **

**Author's note II: Some things have changed since I initially thought of them, but I did listen to "Runaway" by The National a lot while thinking about Bella and Rosalie's fight. **

* * *

Say something. Anything. The silence in the room was so absolute, Bella could easily make out her own thundering pulse. She remained standing by the door as she waited for Rosalie to make a move. Rosalie appeared as petrified and still as one of Carlisle's paintings.

The buzzing from both of their phones broke the stillness, though the tension remained. Alice had texted them both: 'You might want to go outside for this'. Oh shit. They knew what a message like that implied...Wordlessly Bella and Rosalie heeded Alice's warning and walked out the door...and not a moment too soon. Just as the door closed shut behind her, Rosalie leaped to the nearest tree and pummeled it into oblivion. It all happened so fast she was a blur to Bella, who could only stand close to the cabin as her girlfriend took out her anger on everything in sight.

A minute of this and Bella had to redirect her attention to the mangled trees flying through the air. Rosalie seemed to have awareness enough not to send any in her or the cabin's direction, but the Jeep was not as lucky. Fortunately, Bella saw the twenty foot log that was about to destroy Emmett's favorite car in time to divert it to a different path.

"Why?"

Startled, Bella shifted her concentration from the trees that were no longer crashing to earth back to Rosalie.

"Why?!" Rosalie hissed again.

Bella gulped and took a shaky breath, but that proved to be too long a wait for Rosalie. The last remaining tree was quickly uprooted. Rosalie slowed down finally, but spent the last agonizing minutes before Bella found her voice tearing through the fallen branches. When she finally stopped...when she finally lost the wild look in her eyes, the remnants of that part of the forest lay at their feet like the remnants of a violent earthquake.

"I didn't want to be the reason he stayed away," Bella whispered.

"Edward," Rosalie spat. "Him. The reason _you_ ran off before. Edward...who's made it _very_ clear what he thinks of our relationship...you risked your life with five other vampires you've never met...for HIM?!"

No, not for him. "Not for him," she repeated out loud. "For Esme."

"Bella!" Rosalie threw her arms up in the air. "We've all left. 100 years is a really long time for this many of us to not get sick of each other. Edwards's left before! So has Emmett! So have I!"

"Did any of you leave because you felt you couldn't be part of the family anymore?!" Bella yelled back. "I didn't think so."

Rosalie kicked a stone away in frustration. "You could've waited for me," she said. "We could've gone together."

"Would you have? Really?" Bella asked quietly. "I am sorry to have kept you in the dark. Truly, I am. I did it because I thought it would be the only way."

"Five vampires who-"

"Who were just as civilized and polite to me as your family," Bella interrupted. "I wouldn't have gone if the impression you all gave me of them was any less. Rose," she sighed, "I think they were more scared of me that I was of them after they saw what I could do."

Rosalie fidgeted in front of her as Bella closed off all her arguments.

"He thinks I'm a heartless bitch," she finally said. It was the first time since their fight began that her eyes reflected something other than anger. "He thinks I'm a whore for what I'm doing with you and Emmett. That our relationship has no meaning beyond sex. Of all people, Bella...him, of all people..."

The torment in Bella's eyes immediately erased all remaining anger from Rosalie's. She watched in alarm as smoke creeped out of one of the torn branches to their side.

"I couldn't stand it anymore," Bella whispered. "You, Emmett, Alice and Jasper couldn't care less, I know. But Esme and Carlisle cared. I have spent more time in your house than I care to keep track of...and Edward has spent more time than that away from it...and it's all because of me! First because of my scent, then because of what I knew and our relationship. However way you want to phrase it, what matters is that Carlisle and Esme love him like a son...and I'm the reason he's gone."

If Rosalie had a beating heart it would be pounding. She listened to Bella's words but most of her attention was fixated on the flames rising up, catching on the piles of logs all around them.

"She's a mother," Bella spoke, no longer looking at Rosalie and instead staring hard at the billowing fire. "If he's what she wanted she should have him. I have no right to stand in the way of that."

The log closest to Bella split open like an egg, its interior so hot that it flowed out like lava. Rosalie slowly approached her and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Bella," she whispered worriedly. "What's going on? You're losing it."

Immediately, the flames died out and Bella moved closer inside Rosalie's waiting arms.

"I'm sorry," she whimpered, tears streaming down her face. "For this...and for before."

"Ok," Rosalie shook her head as she tightened her embrace as much as safely possible for Bella. "It's done. It's over. I'm sorry too...for reacting the way I did." She kissed her softly on the forehead, wishing she could do something to stop the tears coming down in front of her. "Come on, we'll have to clean up here before we leave."

If she thought that would distract her from whatever was bothering her, Rosalie was sorely mistaken. Instead, Bella stiffened as she looked around through Rosalie's arms. When her stance did not change for too unnaturally long, Rosalie had to ask, "what is it?"

The voice that answered her came from a very different Bella than the one she and her family were used to.

"I've woken up to this so many times," Bella whispered as she took stock of their burnt surroundings. "This much damage though...it reminds me of the first time."

Rosalie cursed her luck-what were the odds that she'd accidentally find a way to remind Bella of the day her normal life ended? They all knew so little about that night. Bella had never divulged more than what she shared the day all their secrets came out of the dark. She held her tighter, trying to keep Bella's gaze away from the fire while she herself looked around. The mutilated trees laying haphazardly around them were taller than her and Bella in some places. She could imagine how this scene reminded her of the past, especially that night. What was it like to wake up to that level of destruction? Bella said half her neighborhood was wiped out. How the hell did she make it through that night?

She was startled out of her thoughts when Bella suddenly reached up and kissed her hard on the lips. Surprised, Rosalie followed her lead and kissed her back though she quickly grew confused at the ferocity Bella was displaying. Before long, Bella's hunger could not be satisfied by a mere kiss and the younger girl violently unzipped Rosalie's pants.

"Bells?" Rosalie asked when it looked like Bella might attempt to rip her jeans off.

"Please," Bella panted through their locked lips. "I need...I need a good memory." Something other than death and tears for these flames to witness. She didn't need to explain because Rosalie, as always, understood what she didn't say as well as what she did.

Wordlessly, Rosalie lowered her to the ground.

* * *

They made love that night with a burning passion that was intensified by their slow pace. Though exhausted from the trip she had taken and the emotional toll from speaking to Edward and then fighting with Rosalie, Bella continued to touch and yearn for Rosalie's touch well until dawn. When she came the first time, Rosalie had to remind her that it was ok for her to release the flames too. After that, each time Bella came more and more fallen logs split open releasing innards of liquid fire so that by morning a haphazard ring of Bella's unique destruction stood around where the girls had been.

Later, after they altered the scene around the cabin so it looked natural and got into the car, Bella fell into a soundless sleep. Rosalie on the other hand spent most of the drive back arguing silently with herself.

If someone had told her just a year ago that she'd be contemplating turning a human...but here she was, barely six months since meeting Bella and wanting to spend eternity with her more than anything else she's ever wanted. Whenever the thought came to her mind, Rosalie drove herself crazy with happiness at the implications...and self-hatred at what Bella would lose. What right did she have to stop the course of time for anyone? Despite having what many would consider one of the best vampire "lives" one could have, Rosalie would give just about anything to undo it all and have a chance at a normal, linear life. Until very recently, even death as a result of Royce's crime would have been a more humane option than the frozen life she had to endure now.

Finding Emmett probably saved her from finding a way to end her existence. If it wasn't for the undeniable love she felt for him she would've long ago committed suicide by Volturi. Before him she merely existed. After...she lived. And now she had Bella. Rosalie wasn't a fool. She knew she would've never even met the girl if she wasn't frozen in time. The fullness in her heart that sometimes took her proverbial breath away when she thought of Bella and Emmett would never have taken hold if she wasn't a vampire. If Rosalie believed in fate she would've thought that she was meant to be turned in order to find the two people who would complete her.

None of this changed the fact that turning Bella would end her normal life. Now that she had some measure of control over her insane gift, Bella could more or less blend in with others. She could go to college, have a career. She could have a family. Rosalie gripped the steering wheel harder, thinking of the things Bella could have and she could not. Everyone in the Cullen household (sans Alice, whose past was still a mystery) was turned against their will by an outsider or because they were dying. Never before had any of them actually wanted to turn someone who had a choice. This was something they've all been thinking about, she knew, and a conversation that they couldn't keep putting off for much longer.

They were back in civilization when Bella awoke briefly. Rosalie smiled to herself at the small yawn she let out and how she unconsciously moved her hand to the middle of the front seat so Rosalie could intertwine it in hers. Bella stayed leaning on the passenger side window, probably too fatigued to change her position. A car pulled up next to them at a stoplight and Rosalie noticed Bella staring hard into it. She looked over and saw a family chatting inside-a mother, a father, and three children in the back.

Steeling herself, Rosalie asked tentatively, "Do you want kids, Bella?"

Whatever response she was hoping for, she certainly didn't expect Bella to curl her lip back and almost...growl.

"No," Bella said curtly. She didn't volunteer anymore and Rosalie, after looking at her face, knew better than to ask.

* * *

"Bella Bear!" Emmett shouted as he twirled his best friend around. "I'm impressed," he whispered. "Glad to see you back in one piece."

Esme was next. Though Bella was tired enough to pretty much collapse into her bed in the shed, Esme and Emmett couldn't wait till the next day to see her. While Emmett and Rosalie embraced, Esme took the young girl into her arms and didn't let go for quite some time.

"You didn't need to do what you did," Esme said quietly in her ear. "But thank you, sweetheart. Thank you."

* * *

**Author's Note: Obviously there's a lot more to Bella's psyche than meets the eye :) Hope you enjoyed! Please review if you have a chance. I'm gonna go get my ass whooped some more today and tomorrow. :-/ Sigh.**


	41. Return

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

* * *

"Aaaaaghh," Emmett groaned.

"Hush!" Rosalie laughed. "The whole town will hear!"

"No, they won't," grinned Emmett as he stretched even more on the warm grass. "Aaaaaaagh!", he groaned again, louder this time to drown out Rosalie' tisk-tisking next to him. They were laying on their backs on their favorite cliff outside of Forks, feet dangling off the edge and basking in the warmth of the sun. This high up, they were above the cloud bank that covered the city and could enjoy the sun's rays in complete privacy. That privacy often led to other...amorous activities as well which they often took advantage of when they came here. They did so again this morning (and again and again) but now both of them were content to just lie next to each other and relish each other's company.

A sudden chuckle from him had Rosalie eying him warily. "What?" she asked.

"Don't kill me," he said with a glint in his eyes. "Ever wonder if you really are related to them?"

"Oh for god's sake," she puffed.

"Come on! I'm serious!" He cried out, "You even _look_ like them."

"Jasper looks like them too."

"Jasper doesn't have what you got, babe."

"Don't start," she rolled her eyes. This wasn't the first time Emmett had wondered out loud at the strange similarities between his wife and the three succubi in Alaska. The most obvious being, of course, her insatiable sexual appetite.

"Hey, I'm not complaining," he grinned. She turned and gave him a look. "Well, not anymore!" He added reluctantly. "I've got a wingman now!"

Rosalie shook her head, torn between wanting to flick him off the cliff and snuggling closer into his side. She decided on the latter.

Both quieted down for a while and listened to the birds before Emmett spoke again.

"You should bring her up here," he said quietly. "Show her this place."

Rosalie frowned and looked up. "You don't have to do that, Em. This place is ours. You shouldn't give up everything."

He shrugged and turned onto his side so he could look at her as he spoke. "I don't think of it like that. I _want_ these things for _her_. She's not just your lover, not to me. She's-"

"She's your Bella Bear..." Rosalie finished and smiled gently.

"I'd rather keep some things separate for now," she whispered. "That'll probably change...but I think it'll do us all good while we get used to this. But...it would be nice for the three of us to do something together. I think Bella would like that."

"I'd like that too," Emmett smiled. "Maybe we could go somewhere Christmas break? The beach? Hey, I call dibs on buying her a swimsuit!"

"Absolutely not!" Rosalie laughed. "You'll have the poor girl dressed like Princess Leia!"

Emmet whistled. "Now that'd be a sight...provided you're in a matching suit of course."

She slapped his arm. "Ass."

* * *

**Author's Note: The song that Bella plays till the end of the chapter is "The Shape of Things To Come" from Battlestar Galactica (2004-2009 remake) and is the piano version by Joohyun Park. It's youtubeable. Please hit CTR-T and listen to it :) On a completely sidetracked note, I have to take the time to praise Battlestar Galactica (All hail!) and its music composer Bear McCreary for 1. one of the awesomest TV shows on the planet and 2. one of the best tv/movie scores EVER created.**

* * *

The music drifted through the house from the living room where Bella had been playing for the last few hours. The piece was finally starting to come together. Esme stopped for a few seconds to listen as the melody took shape before resuming her final once-over of Edward's room. Everything looked as it should. New furniture, sound system, and as many books and records as she and Carlisle could think to buy. Downstairs, the music room too had received a similar makeover. There was little else she could do now but wait and wonder when he'd return home. Alice had not had any visions of him and it had been almost a week since Bella and Rosalie's return. All calls went unanswered.

She hummed along with Bella's song as she made her way through the now heavily used kitchen. A little olive oil here, a touch of paprika there, and a whole lot of chopping later...ingredients not only for Bella's dinner but for a soothing few minutes during which Esme could think in peace. She would miss this when the girl became one of them. As usual when she indulged in this sort of thinking, the heavy guilt descended until she nearly felt sick. It was horrible that she wanted this so much. She wanted Bella's human life to end-there was no other way to put it. And yet...don't people crave eternal life? If given the choice between wasting away and eternal youth, wouldn't most people choose life...no matter how lifeless it seemed? And was it really all that terrible, this life she and her family led? They did not kill innocents. She and Carlisle earned an honest living and invested wisely (honesty there rather stretched, she had to admit, since Alice's visions were decidedly not an ethical way of conducting business). They gave back to the community through countless charities. Before she had someone to cook for, all the food she bought to maintain their cover went straight to the food bank. Their nature was to be ruthless, murderous, and unfeeling...and yet all of them have managed to set aside that vileness and become upstanding members of society. They were good and kind and charitable. No one could say Bella would be giving up a natural life for an immoral one if she followed their lifestyle. She sighed...who was she kidding? Vampires are no fairytale. To be one meant subscribing to the authority of the Volturi. It meant clashes over territory. It meant having to deal with nomads and newborns. Worst of all, it meant dealing with death. She and Carlisle had largely insulated themselves and their family from this with their vegetarian lifestyle and congenial approach to other vampires...but somewhere above them, death always hung waiting to drop. Inevitably someone makes a mistake. It happened to her. It happened to most of her children. Bella had already seen so much, caused so much...she shuddered at the thought of the poor child having the added burden of blood lust on top of her other burdens.

"Do you need any help?" Rosalie asked from the doorway, interrupting her thoughts.

"Hmm? Oh, no sweetie. Thank you, I'm just about done here."

But Rosalie seemed determined to help somehow and so picked up the dish towel and started to dry the few dishes by the sink. Esme knew her daughter well-something was on her mind.

"I can't bring myself to speak of it," Rosalie whispered. "I just can't, Esme."

"Oh honey," Esme sighed quietly. From this distance she knew Bella couldn't hear. She was far too focused on her music now anyway. "I know. It's been torturing me too."

"Are we so selfish as to go through with it?" Rosalie asked, the pain clear in her eyes. "Would we really wish this on someone who had a choice? Esme, I just want her to be happy...but I want her _with me_."

Esme took the towel from her shaking hands and held them in her own. "She is happy with you," she said. "She positively glows when you're near her. I think whatever happens, as long as she has you she will be happy."

"But-"

"No buts," Esme said with a confidence that did not at all reflect her conflicted emotions. "It's far too early to even be considering this. She has two years left of high school. You have time to talk to her. Don't torture yourself for nothing...but Rosalie, think carefully about this: Whenever, if ever it happens...or doesn't happen...would you love her any less?"

"Of course not..."

"Then don't dwell on it," Esme said. "Focus on living now-you and her. Focus on your relationship. With Emmett too. Make things work over the next two years and then...and then what will come will come."

Rosalie nodded as she hugged her. Esme hoped she wouldn't see through her blatant hypocrisy. She knew she wouldn't be following her own advice and that this topic would constantly be on her mind until a variable changed. Regardless, she hoped her brave front would be enough to soothe Rosalie's guilt. They were all just beginning to get used to the strange anomaly that was a giddy, overjoyed Rosalie. Bella was the final key, along with Emmett, that unlocked a truly happy Rosalie, and Esme didn't want her internal conflicts to overshadow that.

Bella too, had a serenity about her that felt out of place in a human. Jasper had confided to her his observations...that Rosalie's presence acted much like his calming power over her. The blonde needed only to touch her before Bella's raw negative emotions were subdued. It was much the same with Emmett, especially when he was still a newborn. Both he and Bella were enchanted by Rosalie, she thought with a smile.

A couple of odd notes reached her ears and she giggled at Bella's frustrated growl. She fixed it soon enough though, and Esme stood by the entrance to the living room so she could watch her play.

* * *

Alice was starting to get annoyed with her family. First Bella, and now Edward seemed to have mastered the art of not making decisions in order to thwart her visions. The school year was to begin in two days time. Edward had to make it back by then. But if he was making the trip he certainly made no plans for it. Nor did he decide to hunt, to read a book, to take a long walk, or any of the typical things that Edward did. Since this was highly unusual the only thing she could deduce was that he, like Bella had done in Canada, was actively avoiding her visions. Ugh. What was the point of having a clairvoyant in the family if they didn't use her gift?

A moment later, her eyesight got blurry as the familiar start of a vision came through. But it wasn't Edward. It was Bella deciding the song was finished and planning to play it through one more time now that it was complete. Sigh...well so much for that. While disappointed that she hadn't seen Edward, she was aware enough to notice how much easier it was to see Bella's decisions when she was on the piano. Not that she left her spaced out state that often when she really got into the music...but when she did, Alice was guaranteed to get something from her...a rarity, that was for sure. She'd seen decisions to move measures around, decisions to get more water, decisions to go to the bathroom (Alice would rather she forget that image) and so on.

She was halfway through her song when she picked up his scent. They all did, she could see. Everyone became still, save for Bella who continued on in blissful ignorance. Rosalie and Emmett, who were sitting together on the loveseat visibly stiffened, though this time it was Emmett's touch that helped calm her down. Jasper and Carlisle looked up from their chess game in the corner. Esme sighed in relief.

As for Alice...she wasn't the empath, but even she could sense the unease sweeping the room. When it came to Bella, Edward was a loose cannon...in more ways than one. He paused at the front door. She guessed that he was listening to Bella's music and that he didn't want to interrupt with his entrance. Whatever was going on in his head, the family stood absolutely still waiting for Bella to finish playing. Too soon for some of them, she finally did. Her small satisfied smile slowly changed to confusion than to understanding when Edward walked into the room.

He cleared his throat. "That was very good, Bella." He paused and looked at his family. "Hello everyone."

* * *

**Author's note: Sorry this is on the shorter side. I had some more planned but decided last minute I wanted it in a different chapter to maximize drama :) Would love to hear your thoughts! **

**By the way, in case you're wondering how serious I am about this fic...I know exactly what's gonna be in the epilogue. SO, have no fear O wonderful readers. Your devotion will not be in vain (you know, unless I get killed or something...wouldn't that just suck?). **


	42. Beloved

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

**Author's note: M rating at the start. You have been warned. (I'm trying very, very hard to walk the fine line of showing a couple with a healthy sex life and not going overboard or, conversely, not showing enough. Aside from the frequency of the acts, I hope the language I use is neither too hardcore nor too flowery...you know, the kind that makes you ask yourself "wait, what just happened?")**

* * *

Somewhere above her, Bella thought she heard Rosalie release a drawn out sigh...but she was kind of busy at the moment and a little too distracted to notice or care about anything other than what she was doing to her girlfriend.

In the midst of her pleasure, Rosalie forgot her rules and reached for Bella's head to pull her closer before suddenly remembering and instead wrapped them behind her own pillow. God damn, it was so hard to keep from touching her human...to keep from pulling and pushing and twisting against her. But Rosalie knew herself well enough to know that any such display of passion would end horribly for Bella. Even by vampire standards Rosalie had always been a bit...rough. There was really no point wishing for all the things she wanted to do but couldn't with a human Bella. She should just clear her mind and enjoy-

"Oh, fuck! Oh, god..."

Bella grinned from between Rosalie's legs. On a whim she had decided to try something new. Her grin didn't last long since she needed her tongue back inside Rosalie.

In the meantime Rosalie had already ripped the pillow behind her in half. She balled her fists together and tried to keep from connecting them to anything else that could break. In the end she settled for wrapping them around her own head and concentrated on keeping the movements of her body at a level Bella could handle. No easy task what with what Bella was doing to her.

At last Bella felt the now familiar signs of Rosalie's imminent climax and doubled her efforts. When Rosalie moans tripled and her body tensed up, Bella held onto her thighs even tighter and pushed her tongue in as far as it could go.

"You're getting much too good at this..." Rosalie whispered, still riding the calm afterglow.

"And who's fault is that?" Bella teased as she found herself wrapped in the other girl's arms.

Rosalie sent a playful slap her way. "You can be pretty demanding too."

Yes, she certainly could, Bella thought, blushing. Though not quite at Rosalie's levels, Bella had been surprised and embarrassed to find herself hungry for her girlfriend's touch more...well, more than she was for anything else. It wasn't always sexual though. At the end of the day, or during a lull while training with Carlisle, Bella felt at her most calm when she got to hold Rosalie in her arms or when she rested her head on her lap. It was like she was making up for the seven years during which she had rarely touched another living soul.

As if reading her thoughts, Rosalie started gently caressing and kissing her.

"I wish we could stay here all day," Bella sighed, frowning. The real world had crept up so slowly...but it was here now and she had to face it. They had to be in school in a couple of hours.

"Won't things be easier now that you can control it?"

Bella said nothing. Yes, of course things would be infinitely easier now that the likelihood of killing all her classmates had dwindled to zero. But that wasn't what had Bella dreading the day. She was good, too good at masking her emotions when she wanted to. The truth was, people still freaked her out. The Cullens were quite literally the only exceptions in a long list of failed social interactions. Seven years was a long time...and her experience with people before that would have anyone opting to be a hermit rather than face that world.

Would the long summer months be enough for Jessica and Lauren, and everyone else to forget to hate her? When her friends had to stay away on sunny days, would she ever find a reason to smile while imprisoned in that building?

Not wanting to unload all these fears and general anxiety onto Rosalie, Bella simply smiled wearily.

_Knock, Knock._

Bella froze. Shit, what was Charlie doing here on a weekday?

"Uh," Bella sat up and looked at the door downstairs.

_Knock, Knock._

"Are you gonna get that?" Rosalie asked with a smile.

Bella shoved her lightly. "Thanks for warning me! Shit, uh," she stumbled, looking at Rosalie's naked body, "can you please hide?"

Rosalie rolled her eyes but complied. "I can't believe I'm doing this," she muttered.

Bella hurriedly slipped on a pair of shorts and a shirt and, after she made sure Rosalie couldn't be seen, opened the door.

Charlie stood five feet from the door, hands behind him and back as straight as an arrow. He looked about as comfortable as a cat with a hairball.

"Good morning," he said.

"Morning," Bella replied. Easy now, she thought to herself.

"Um, you know you have school today, right?" He asked.

Bella's eyebrows shot up her forehead. Was he really here to remind her to go to school? What, like she was going to forget?

"Yes," she answered slowly.

"Right," he said. "Uh, well, here." He handed her a new bag pack. "I noticed your old one was getting pretty ratty. There's things in there you can use too."

Bella took the bag carefully and peered inside. Notebooks, binder, and a spiffy graphing calculator. She gulped...those things were expensive.

"Lady in the store said juniors need those so..."

"Thanks," she said.

He nodded. Then, as if he suddenly remembered he looked up and asked, "Did you enjoy yourself on that trip?"

Before she could answer, Rosalie's voice drifted from above and into her ears: "She certainly enjoyed me fucking her brains out."

Bella struggled not to react. "Um, yea. Yes, I did."

"Good, good. See anything interesting?" He asked.

"Like her girlfriend's naked ass? You bet!" Rosalie whispered.

"Uh huh," Bella said. "Lots of mountains. It was neat."

"Good, good. Uh, you know if you want...well, if you want to you can invite any of them to come here. You can use the house...if you want to that is," he said, looking down.

Bella tried, she really tried to think of something to say before Rosalie opened her mouth. But she was too late.

"Already came today, but thanks for the offer," Rosalie whispered. "I'm sure I'll come again later though."

Beet red, Bella composed herself and looked down at the floor.

"Th-thanks. I'll keep that in mind."

"Right, well. Have a-have a good day at school."

Bella shut the door and turned around to find Rosalie lounged on her couch with a most wicked grin on her face.

"I'm gonna kill you," Bella growled before lunging at her.

* * *

Emmett chuckled at the terrified boy's expense. He had to admit, his favorite part about the endless redo's of high school was watching hapless boys gawking and trying to talk to his wife. Usually one glare from her was enough to have them nearly pee their pants. In this case it was a freshman...cocky little kid who was probably used to dating whomever he wanted. You couldn't blame them for staring, really. But the kid should've taken her killer glare to heart. Trying to talk to Rosalie when she wore that face...really not the best move to preserve one's health.

"I almost feel sorry for them," Bella giggled from her seat next to him. They were in Emmett's jeep waiting for the first warning bell to ring. Rosalie lost the draw and had gone inside the main office to retrieve all their schedules.

"You should've seen her 50 years ago," Emmett reminisced. "I had to act the rowdy kid so people wouldn't hear her growl all day long."

"She is something..." Bella smiled, before quickly glancing at him. But she needn't worry-Emmett's eyes showed only affection.

"You don't have to be so careful around me, Bells," he said, watching her blush. "I was fully aware what I'd be getting myself into, and I'm still cool with it. Are you forgetting that I'm the one who practically shoved the two of you together?"

Bella sighed sheepishly. "How can I forget, Em?" She snuggled a little closer next to him. "What do you say when...when people tell you you're wrong?"

Emmett narrowed his eyes. "By people you mean Edward? No, you don't have to answer that," he sighed. "I tell...them...that Rosalie's the love of my life...and she's the love of yours. Bella, it's a miracle that she let you in. In all the years we've been together, she hasn't done that for anyone. Even the family...they only see what Rose lets them." He smiled, "I still don't know how the hell I managed to break through. But I did somehow, and so did you. So Edward can suck it. You make Rosalie happy and for that you have my blessing and my love." He quieted for a moment before saying, "You also kick my ass at Halo, so you have my respect too."

Bella smiled warmly and hugged him as best she could in the car. "I love you, you know that?"

He grinned. "Aww, don't make me blush!"

She shook her head and smiled, but Emmett soon noticed the faraway look in her eyes again.

"I think if I could find a way," she started quietly, "I'd go back and kill Royce myself."

Emmett's grin abruptly left his face, and he had to let go of the steering wheel for fear of crushing it. 80 years later and he still could barely control his anger, or manage the sadness that accompanied it when he thought of what his Rose had gone through on her last human night.

"That's the first thing I wanted to do too," he whispered. "I swear I would have if she hadn't already gotten them."

Neither could say anything else. For both of them, the pain of what their lover had endured could not be channelled through words. They felt so helpless. Time may heal all wounds but Emmett knew better than anyone that Rosalie was not healed. He looked at the girl beside him and saw how she too looked like she wanted to cry and simultaneously hit something. Rosalie may not be over what happened to her, he thought, but Bella was helping her accept who-and what-she was. Without a doubt, Rosalie in the last few months was the happiest he'd ever seen her. Part of that had to do with Bella. But part of it also, he knew, had to do with her finally beginning to come to terms with her frozen state. Finding Bella, falling in love with her...maybe they weren't as frozen as they thought?

Soon enough, Rosalie was walking out of the office and back to the car. And just like that, the sight of her had Emmett and Bella smiling again.

* * *

**Author's note: Another short one, but surely I get some brownie points for updating in 3 days? :) Please let me know what you think. Every review I get makes my day a little brighter. I most definitely appreciate constructive criticism, and I must say it's fun to read what you ****_think_**** will happen. I cheer a little when someone guesses close...and I cheer a lot when nobody figures out where I'm going! Love you! **


	43. Sting

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

* * *

She should've known. Until meeting the Cullens, luck was not something Bella was familiar with. She really had no reason to think she would be as lucky in her classes as she was last year. Either the school administrators thought she, Jessica, and Lauren worked well together or they were harboring a secret sadism for Bella...because the three of them shared almost every class this year. There was nothing Bella could do...not when so many of her classes would be so affected. And of course, the cherry on top of this cake from hell was that her friends wouldn't be with her for the majority of these classes.

She could feel Jasper's eyes on her as they walked out of European History together-the only class she shared with him.

"I'm fine, Jasper," she sighed.

"You can't lie to me, Bella," he whispered. "I can tell, remember?"

Bella said nothing. She merely gritted her teeth and concentrated on the path to her locker. While she could put on a brave face and act unaffected for her friends' sake, Jasper was right-she couldn't fake it with him.

All day, the whispers had followed. Even when she conscientiously turned off her ability to listen she still spied her name come up, rendering her ability to ignore her peers useless. Most likely they were encouraged by her lack of protection in classes. No Rosalie or Emmett to glare at them made them significantly more audacious than they were last year.

Bella couldn't understand what had changed. Was it obvious how intimate she was with the Cullens? After becoming even closer to them over the summer, she now found herself seeking physical proximity to them that she doubted existed in June. In the hallways when they spotted one another, was the unadulterated happiness and relief on Bella's face cluing people in on the fact the they were much more than just friends?

The Cullens possessed a thick armor, figuratively and quite literally, that Bella herself did not have. They had decades to grow accustomed to this sort of treatment, but with the added bonus of instilling enough fear in others that people generally didn't dare cross the line with them. Bella possessed no such gifts. And she was further handicapped by her memories of her life before...every whisper, every stare, every snide remark reminded her of more terrible memories she couldn't escape.

By the time lunch rolled around, Bella's stomach was coiled around itself painfully. She wasn't in danger of exploding-her control in that regard was stellar now-but that didn't mean she couldn't feel it inside. It wanted to come out...and it hurt.

No more secrets meant there were no more reasons to eat alone on the school roof. But as the room quieted and the whispers increased while she walked towards their table, Bella began to seriously reconsider the merits of that decision.

"Hey, Bells," Emmett said. "How's it going?"

"Fine," Bella smiled after she briefly flicked her eyes in Jasper's direction. 'Don't say anything,' she mentally begged him. "I wish they'd assign something in English that I haven't read."

"Is there anything in the English language you haven't read?" Emmett teased. He pulverized a few fries on his plate and Bella was briefly distracted, thinking how incredible it was that nobody in decades had noticed that none of them ate.

Before she opened her own lunch bag to unpack the sandwich Rosalie had made for her this morning, the girl in question laid a hand on hers. Bella looked up, her pain momentarily quelled by Rosalie's touch.

"What happened?" She whispered. Rosalie's eyes were full of concern and love, and Bella hated to lie to her.

"Nothing," she replied, hoping her amused grin would be enough of a distraction for her, for all of them. "Jessica and Lauren must've been pretty eager to see me, that's all. Nothing new. Nothing I can't handle."

She took a bite from her sandwich and quickly changed the subject. "How are you liking Computer Programming, Alice? As easy as you thought it would be?"

* * *

Jasper watched as Bella skillfully moved the conversation around the table to talk about anything but what was clearly (to him, anyway) bothering her. Nothing made sense. Bella was laughing as she spoke to Alice and Emmett, but on the inside, he knew she was hurting. Every once in a while, she'd glance around the cafeteria and sure enough, she'd flinch as if burned when catching sight of someone looking back at her. He knew they were talking about her, about all of them. But this was normal. Wherever they went, he and his siblings have always been fodder for rumors. It was expected especially in a small town like this. But even he had to admit that the students' way of interacting with Bella had a different...flavor than the way they interacted with him.

Still...this is the girl who defied Rosalie for crying out loud! The one who stood her ground and gained the respect of two large covens. She spends the majority of her time with creatures whose nature compels them to drink her blood. And she does it all without blinking an eye, and with the most grace he has ever witnessed in a human. So where did she go? This Bella was someone entirely new. This Bella had nothing to say when Lauren continually taunted her strained relationship with her father, a fact that had become common knowledge much to his surprise. He knew she wasn't exactly popular last year either, but did their presence in most of her classes back then really make that much of a difference?

Beside him, he could feel Edward's equal surprise with Bella's behavior. He knew her the least, but through their thoughts he had learned a lot about her. From him, Jasper could detect mild confusion, surprise, and curiosity. He also sensed anticipation. Jasper looked down at his schedule and saw why: Edward and Bella were finally going to be in a class together.

* * *

Bella sighed in relief when Edward nodded towards the empty seat next to him. She could handle a vampire struggling not to kill her. No problem. He had chosen the table well-it was right by a window.

"Open it," she whispered to him as she set her things down. He did and she quickly sent her scent flying through it and away from Edward.

"Thanks," he said. His eyes slowly brightened to their usual gold. "I'm sorry things are more difficult for you. Jessica and Lauren are skilled information gatherers...and disseminators."

"How did they find out?" She asked. She had been taken by surprise earlier when Lauren, in a clear attempt to rile her, made an off-handed comment about her shed.

"It's difficult to make sense of it," Edward whispered back. "Someone who told someone who saw something who said something until it got to her. None of them have actually seen the property if that's what you're worried about."

The teacher's entrance spared her from coming up with a response.

After the usual first day speech and an explanation of their first in-class assignment, Mr. Banner quickly had them working in pairs to identify and write down all the tools they'd be using in class as well as the parts of the microscope. Bella and Edward found a good rhythm and finished long before anyone else, to Mr. Banner's approval. Bella didn't feel like talking and she felt grateful that Edward didn't push her.

"Think she's angling for Edward?" she heard Jessica whisper to Lauren. They weren't even trying to keep their voices down.

"Isn't it obvious?" Lauren snickered. "Probably thinks he'll magically change her life or something."

"Ugh, that's so wrong," Jessica said vehemently. "He deserves better."

Bella resisted the urge to slam her head onto the table. Beside her, Edward cocked his head and pretended to be busy with the piece of paper in his hand.

"Just ignore them," he whispered. "We've all heard much worse over the years."

"How do you do it?" She asked, genuinely curious. "How can you stand listening to their thoughts?"

He shrugged. "Over time I've learned to ignore it. They're just petty humans, Bella. You're much more than that. Don't let them bother you so much."

Bella raised an eyebrow. Wasn't she just another petty human too? Two months ago he was going up a wall because she was human. Bella sighed. She had too much on her mind to worry about what was going on in Edward's.

* * *

Please let this day come to an end, Bella silently repeated to herself. She'd be fine. She knew she would. Some time alone was all she needed to realign her expectations for the year. She had been foolish to forget...foolish to think things might be a little better. She made that mistake every September when she was younger, and here she was doing the same thing...with the exact same results.

"Pay attention!" Jessica hissed.

Bella rolled her eyes but said nothing. Her Gym class grade wasn't going to deteriorate because of her tendency to space out. As alarming as it first seemed to be trapped with Jessica, Lauren, Mike and Tyler in one class, it wasn't so bad if Bella focused on staying out of their way. That meant keeping away from the action...and that meant ample opportunities to space out and think.

"So Bella," Mike grinned while Jessica was busy with another player a ways down. "Since you have your own 'house' practically, does Chief Swan care if you bring boys home?"

Harhar, she thought.

"Not at all, Mike," Bella found her voice. "But there's a minimum penis length requirement to get through my door. I don't think you'd qualify."

Predictably, his face turned red. "Watch it," he whispered. "Doors on those sheds aren't too strong."

"You watch it," Bella hissed back. "You've gotta be pretty mental to threaten the Chief's daughter. And if he doesn't arrest your ass...Emmett will leave it bloody raw."

It happened in a split second and then it was gone. Mike's facial expression changed from anger to pain as he felt a burning session on the anatomical part they had just been discussing. It was over as soon as it had begun though, and Mike, though still reeling from the effects of that little sting, walked away in confusion without another word.

Bella immediately felt guilty for what she had done. That could have gone very badly. She could've done much more damage or even killed him. And while he was obviously a prick based on the threats he so casually made to her, Bella had no right to decide or execute his punishment. On the other hand...that felt...incredibly good. A familiar feeling of satisfaction swept through her body and made her eager to experience it again. It was just like the brief seconds after one of her more destructive episodes in the past when everything inside her had poured out. Those seconds of gratification were always quickly overwhelmed with fear and remorse because usually she'd have to deal with death in the vicinity.

But no one had died here. Mike had already moved on-he was flirting with Jessica who happily reciprocated. Jessica passed the ball and Bella followed its path until it reached Lauren. Those two had made her feel miserable today. Why couldn't they just ignore her? The rest of the students unfortunately seem to follow their lead and Bella had to endure endless jabs about her living situation all day. She passed the ball to someone else and eventually it came to Bella.

Lauren sniggered to Jessica as they both looked at something behind her. Bella didn't need to turn around to know that someone, probably Tyler by the sound of his breathing, was trying to sneak up on her. Quickly, Bella threw the ball as hard as she could at Lauren who caught it deftly...and then dropped it just as quickly as she yelped in pain. Lauren looked up, surprised. Her hands shook for a few moments before the pain passed. Bella moved out of Tyler's way but kept her eyes on Lauren's.

She got through the last class of the day without further incidence or another word, but the message in her eyes was loud and clear for anyone that bothered to look: _don't fuck with me_.

* * *

**Author's note: And the roller coaster that is Bella's life twists and dips...**

**Author's note II: Some of you are asking me questions in the reviews and I'd really like to answer...except you keep reviewing as a guest! If you expect us to converse please make yourself an account pronto. **

**I'm feeling the start of a cold coming on :( Know what will make me feel better? REVIEWS! :D**


	44. Seventeen

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

**Author's note: Soundtrack for this chapter (important): **

**Metamorphosis Five by Philip Glass. **

**Metamorphosis Two by Phillip Glass.**

**Both Youtubebable. Put 'em on a loop.**

* * *

Bella awoke with a bitter taste in her mouth that had nothing to do with morning grogginess. It was still dark outside and the birds had yet to stir. She lay in bed a long time just concentrating on breathing, on keeping her heartbeat steady. If she didn't force herself to get up, she knew, she'd probably spend the whole day like this. But this was too important...and she would need the early start.

Outside her home, even though it was still dark she could tell it would be another dreary day in Forks. There was already a light mist that covered her clothes and hair by the time she reached Charlie's front door. Today of all days, she wouldn't dare take the risk of talking to him in person. Who knew what state of mind he'd be in? Keeping herself sane today would be difficult enough. No, the piece of paper in her hand went swiftly under the front door. Hopefully her brief note would be enough of a heads up for him if the school called.

With her bag tied securely to her shoulders, Bella looked to the stars for bearings, then sped as fast as she could towards Phoenix.

* * *

Charlie's eyes opened long before the alarm went off. He had his routine perfected down to the minute, so he waited patiently for his alarm to signal the start of the day. No variations today, not if he could help it. When it finally rang he rose from his bed and made his way to the bathroom down the hall. After he finished the necessities, he took out the shaving cream and razor he kept in the medicine cabinet and proceeded to take care of his face. It had been over a week since he was clean-shaven and he didn't want to look scruffy today. After trimming his mustache and rinsing his face, he stopped for a moment and stared back at the man in the mirror. The man looked so much older than his real age. Then again, he felt even older on the inside. When did his hair start graying? There was a permanent look of weariness in his eyes and in his whole demeanor. It had been there so long, he could hardly remember a time when he wasn't thoroughly exhausted.

He turned off the faucet and finished getting dressed. Like he did every morning for eight years he poured himself a bowl of cereal and a cup of coffee, and downed both as fast as he could.

The piece of paper in the hall by the door stopped him in his tracks as he was making his way out. Carefully, he opened the note and read it:

_Won't be in school today. Won't be reachable. -Bella_

He made to crumple it up but stopped himself. Gently, he folded it back up and placed it in his pocket. Where would she go, he wondered. He thought of doing the same, of calling out and disappearing for a while, but just as quickly that thought was scrapped. Working would get him through this day, as it always had.

On his way to the cruiser he pulled out his phone and called the school._ Bella Swan is home sick_, he lied. _Yes, yes_, he continued with the nosy administrator, _it's hard luck she had to fall ill on her birthday. Thank you, I'll pass that along_.

* * *

The roof of the chapel provided an excellent hiding spot. There was a section off to the side that was surrounded by different elevations of the roof. The space was small but Bella could still fit in it along with her backpack. When she was finally settled, no one walking in the cemetery below could see her but, most importantly, she had an unobstructed view of her mother's grave site.

This was the third time she's come here on her birthday. By the time she turned 15, she had mustered enough to control to brave what she knew would be an ordeal. Every time though, she had stayed in this spot and had not ventured any closer. Too risky, she always believed. It was dangerous enough just coming here. One wrong move, one wrong feeling, and the whole cemetery could explode. That was the last thing she wanted especially because many of the victims that died along with her mother were buried here too.

She opened her bag and took out a sandwich. Running like that always made her ravenous and she hoped she stocked the bag sufficiently. Numb down, she thought to herself. Though her control was better than ever before, her emotional state on this day scared her enough to remain cautious. She would not budge from this spot.

* * *

For such a small town there sure were a lot of idiots, Charlie thought. You'd think living with their weather would make people better drivers, or at least mindful of the wet roads. But no, both people involved in this crash were locals who woke up on the wrong side of bed, he guessed. No fatalities thank goodness, but one of them got hit in the head pretty badly and Charlie needed to go with him to the hospital.

After relaying information to the receptionist behind the desk and filling out the necessary paperwork, he stood off to the side and waited for the doctors to finish their job with the patient. Who knew how long this could take? He had already alerted his deputies that he would be here awhile.

"Thank you, Jeannine. I'll just wait for him to finish the surgery."

Charlie looked up. Esme Cullen was walking from the receptionist's desk to the waiting area to the side. He gulped. She really does resemble Reneé. Same mouth, very similar hair, and something else too...maybe it was the way she spoke, or the way she looked at you. He wondered if Bella saw it too.

Before he knew what he was doing, he found himself walking in her direction and sitting down in the chair next to her.

* * *

Below, she could see a few early risers making their vigils. Not everyone who lost somebody that night came on the anniversary, but there were some that did and Bella recognized them all. The couple closest to her were visiting the graves of their children. Michael, Susan, and Clara were at home with the babysitter while their parents had gone out to dinner. The obituary said Susan and Clara were amateur rock stars...then again they were only 11 years old. Michael enjoyed basketball and his favorite subject in school was computer animation.

Bella watched their parents hold hands and try to comfort each other. But she knew, looking at their faces, that they wished they had perished that night too along with their children. Bella understood that. She could certainly relate.

A few rows down, another grave she recognized had a visitor. The plot contained the remains of the Goldbergs. John, Michelle, and their twins, David and Luke. The boys were seniors in high school. David wanted to be a lawyer. Luke wanted to be a sports newscaster. She wondered who the visitor might be. An uncle, perhaps? A family friend? It didn't really matter, but Bella pondered on it anyway...anything to avoid reliving the worst night of her life.

* * *

"Mrs. Cullen" he said. "How are you?"

"Chief!" Esme exclaimed. "It's wonderful to see you as always. And I'm doing well, thank you. I'm waiting for Carlisle to get out of surgery."

"I think I am too," he said. "Brought in a young man who needs a lookover from the doc. Car accident."

"I hope it's not too serious?" She asked, concerned.

"No, no. I don't think so," he said. It would have been an awkward silence if he didn't catch a glimpse of the open notebook in her hands.

"That's very good, if you don't mind me saying," Charlie said, indicating the sketch Esme was working on.

"Not at all, Charlie. And thank you! But...I didn't draw this. Bella did," she said.

He silently berated himself. What did he think would happen if he talked to her? Of course Bella's name would come up. He had to wonder if he subconsciously knew this and chose to approach her for that reason.

"...May I?" He asked, looking at the notebook.

She silently handed it to him. It looked like a remodeling project. An old house was getting a new exterior, and he marveled at the detailing Bella had put in. The transformation from old to new was...exquisite.

"I understand she takes after her mother in this respect," Esme said quietly.

Charlie nodded and carefully handed the drawing back to her.

"Yes," Charlie said slowly. "Renée was always artistic."

Esme put the notebook in her bag and the two of them sat quietly for a few minutes. Charlie couldn't guess at what she was thinking, but he felt like he was an open book to her.

"You know," she started. "I don't think I've ever told you how sorry I am for your loss."

"Th-thank you," said Charlie. He made to say something else but changed his mind.

"Charlie, I don't want to pry," she continued. "But you must know by now that Carlisle and I love Bella like a daughter..."

"Yes...I know that."

"Do you know she blames herself?" She asked. "Eight years is a long time for that kind of guilt."

He swallowed. But it's a justified guilt, he thought. Esme doesn't understand...Bella is guilty. The blame lies with her because she _did_ commit that horrible crime.

"I can't begin to comprehend what happened of course," she carried on. "So please forgive my lack of understanding...but Charlie...she was a child. She's _still_ a child in some ways. No child should have to carry the weight that she carries."

Charlie gripped the arms of his seat harder. And what about him? What about the weight of the secret _he_ kept? What was he supposed to do? All those people...all those families...killed, murdered so senselessly. If it was only Renée...he thought, no, he _believed_ his wife would want him to forgive her. But Renée wasn't the only one who died. What right did he have to forgive such a crime on behalf of people who would never know why their loved ones died? Bella may be a child...and he shuddered to think of the emotional and mental toll all this has taken on her...but that didn't change the past. That didn't bring those people back from the dead.

Esme interrupted his thoughts. "I'm glad I ran into you actually," she said as she pulled something from her bag. "Bella left this at our house. I was going to wait to see her to give it back but since you're here now..."

She handed him another drawing, on nicer paper this time and looking more complete. His heart nearly stopped. It was Renée...Renée looking like something out of a storybook. He'd always thought she was beautiful but this...this was something else. His knuckles turned white as his grip tightened even more and he struggled to hold back a choked sob. Esme, thankfully, turned away to fiddle with something in her bag and Charlie took those seconds to compose himself before he spoke again.

"Thank you," he whispered.

* * *

There was too much confusion...and no way out of there. The news reports said the fire lasted through the night, but Bella didn't recall the passage of time. She only remembered the devastating few minutes before the explosion...and the endless horror after. And of course, she remembered the satisfaction...the first time the monster got its fill...my god, how she remembered that. Eight years after the fact, and the mere memory of that had her clenching her fists. Eight years after the fact, and Bella still licked her lips at the idea of unleashing that much power...of feeling that good again. It was her most powerful, most vivid memory.

She had drifted off. Behind her closed eyes she sensed the sun was higher in the sky. The noise from the roads had tripled as well. She felt a little irked with herself for falling asleep but wasn't really surprised. That run from Forks would've knocked her out a year ago. She was getting stronger. Opening her eyes, she stifled a yelp and nearly fell off the roof. Alice was standing right above her.

"Shit! Alice, what the hell?!"

"Did you really think we'd leave you to your own devices today?" Alice scoffed. "You know us better than that."

Bella took a second to allow her heart rate to come down. "I left you a message," she grumbled. "I explained where I'd be."

"Yes and that was very helpful," Alice replied, "seeing as I can't see you at all right now and wouldn't know how to find you otherwise."

"What do you want, Alice?" Bella sighed.

"To be there for my friend," she said quietly. "You shouldn't be alone today."

Bella laughed incredulously. "Wouldn't be the first time..."

To her dismay, Alice only cocked her head and squeezed herself into the impossibly small space next to her. Bella resigned herself to the unwanted company.

"Your mom is buried here?" Alice asked.

She really wasn't going to leave. Bella closed her eyes and sighed. "Her grave is here, but there's no body. She was too close..."

Alice remained silent, and so Bella was surprised at herself when she felt compelled to add, "a lot of the others are here too."

Neither spoke for several long minutes. Bella continued to watch the mourners trickling between the stones while Alice gazed into the distance, trying to no avail to see Bella's future...anything that might help her decipher her friend's wayward emotions.

"Why do you come here, Bella?" Alice asked.

Bella raised an eyebrow. "To pay my respects..."

Alice turned to face her and gave her a quizzical look. "That's not the only reason, is it?"

She sighed and looked at the woman with the flowers below. "I come to say I'm sorry," she whispered.

"Bella...you can't torture yourself forever like this."

"Why shouldn't I? I have to pay for what I did somehow..."

"It wasn't your fault," Alice whispered.

"Don't say that!" Bella snarled. "Don't tell me it wasn't my fault. It was. _I_ killed those people. _I_ killed my mother. No one else can take that blame but me!"

"You didn't choose to kill anyone! You didn't set out to! You had no control! From what I've seen over the summer and the way you describe it, you weren't even conscious of what was happening! I'll bet my head you don't remember the actual fire!" Alice yelled.

Bella wanted to punch something. Alice was right about not remembering...but that didn't lessen her guilt.

"That woman," Bella pointed to the woman who had been standing in front of the grave for the last 10 minutes. "Her sister's dead because of me. Her sister and her girlfriend, and their baby girl. She was three years old. That man over there...his son was home from the Peace Corps. Know what he was doing? He was helping a village in Tonga build an irrigation system for their family farms. Those graves over there? Rachel and Jonathan Kinner. She was a physicist at the university. He taught 1st graders in the same school as my mom. Carly Nestrom. Kate Walsh. Damien Stanley. Mika Peters. David Park. Jessica Donaldson. Do you want know how many toddlers died? How many kindergarteners? How many orphans there are because of me?!"

She was breathing hard, her face and her body contorted in pain. Sometime during her tirade, Alice had put her arms around her. Bella was too tired to fight her off, so she took the shoulder that was offered and laid down her head, letting a few tears fall but not the sobs she wanted desperately to release.

"Oh, Bells," she heard Alice whisper. "How can your dad forgive you if you won't forgive yourself?"

Charlie was right to hate her. He saw the truth of her existence the way the Cullens never had and never would. Three years of not killing anybody does not clean her hands of all the blood.

"Do you think I'm a monster?" Alice asked. "Do you think Rosalie is?"

Bella shook her head.

"We're no different from you, Bella," she continued. Bella started to protest but Alice cut her off. "It's not the number of deaths...the way we are...none of us asked for it. Our very DNA tells us we must kill. Something has to die for us to survive. The bloodlust...I can't begin to describe to you what that's like. But...I think you more than anyone can guess, can understand. We've all fought so hard to overcome it. There were casualties. Did we want to cause those deaths? Of course not. Do we feel remorse and wish a thousand times that those people could've been spared? Of course we do. For that, we're not monsters. You, Bella...you've fought this thing tooth and nail for half your life! You did everything in your power to avoid bloodshed. You were a nine-year-old child and yet you consciously chose to sever contact with humanity so you wouldn't harm others! Bella, that's not the behavior of a monster. You deserve forgiveness. You've earned it. If you can't see that, then Rosalie and Esme and I, and the rest of our family is truly damned despite all our efforts. I refuse to believe that!"

Bella wanted so badly to believe her. Part of her...the part of her that loved to fly and kiss Rosalie and play the piano...did believe. But another part...the part that enjoyed watching things burn, the part that she kept hidden from everyone...that part made her think twice. There was something there...something sinister that lurked in the darkness of her psyche. That thing...how can there be salvation for it?

Not another word was spoken on that rooftop. Bella stayed in Alice's arms though-it was a comfort she had never allowed herself before, and it helped get her through the day. When the sun started to set, Alice guided her to the rented car and to the airport. Bella was grateful for Alice's planning. There was no way she could attempt to run back again so soon.

After Bella assured her friend she'd be in school tomorrow, she walked inside her shed, ready to collapse in her bed. Something on the table caught her eye though.

It was a birthday card from Charlie. She opened it with trembling hands. There was no note, nor even a cheesy printed message...but there was something taped inside.

Charlie had given her a key to the house.

* * *

**Author's note: Battlestar Galactica fans (or other musical people) might spot a tiny musical hint in the writing. I'll say no more. **

**Holy crap that was draining. I'm pooped. Please reward me with a review. Pretty please? Some people write only for the pleasure of writing...I salute those people. I like the act of it too, but I do it mostly because if I don't get this story out of my head my brain will explode...and also because it means a lot to me when I learn that my writing is affecting others. I can't tell you how wonderful it feels when one of you (and some of you have) tells me that you've gotten past your initial revulsion to the triad relationships. Changing someone's mind about a taboo topic like that...that's an incredibly powerful and wonderful feeling for a writer. So please, talk to me. Doesn't have to be heartfelt...but I am pouring my heart and soul into this. The least you can do is check in :) **

**Love ya! **


	45. November

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

**Author's note: Fluff in the beginning and M rated fluff in the end. I figured you could use it after the past chapter. Enjoy :D**

* * *

"You're dead, Belly Bear."

"Ever hear of a teachable moment?" Bella didn't bother hiding the irritation in her voice. "We had all that time in the trenches! You could've showed me how the damn grenades work!"

"Language!" Esme shouted from the other room.

"Sorry!" Bella replied after throwing a pillow at Emmett, who was snickering on the couch next to her. Bella rolled her eyes and got back into the game. The mood in the house was lighthearted but Bella was aware of the side glances Emmett would occasionally throw her way...as if he was waiting to do or say the wrong thing that would send her spiraling back into the depression she had experienced on and right after her birthday. She did her best to ignore it and continued to stab her enemies on the screen. To their credit, all of the Cullens had respected her mental and emotional state and had refrained from making a big deal (really, any kind of deal) about the day. Alice, she suspected, was crushed...but if any of them had tried to give her anything or so much as bake a cake Bella might have honestly set their house on fire. A wake-up kiss from Rosalie and a few longer than usual hugs from the rest of them the next morning were the only presents that she got, and she was grateful for that.

Now, nearly a month later, she was finally getting back to normal. The guilt got locked away...enough so that Bella was able to laugh again and mean it. Her friends had taken the setback in stride and patiently gave her the time she needed to recoup. Well, almost all of them had been patient. Emmett was pretty beside himself when she grabbed a controller and joined him for an afternoon of video games...he missed their carefree times together. Bella did too, so she determinedly put aside the zombie she was close to becoming and sought him out today because if there was anyone who could make her smile, it was Emmett.

Halfway through their raid on the enemy's base, Bella's performance noticeably declined. Emmett looked up to see what was wrong but then chuckled when he saw that Bella kept glancing out the window to where Rosalie was.

"Dude, you're so whipped," he grinned.

"Oh please," she grumbled. "And you aren't? Besides, you had like a million years to get used to her."

He shook his head and paused the game. "Go ahead," he said softly. "You're gonna get me killed if you try to play while you're drooling like that."

Resisting a witty comeback, she smiled and got up. Before she reached the door to the backyard though, she stopped and turned around.

"Come with?" She asked quietly. Surprised but not unhappily so, Emmett nodded and walked outside with her. Rosalie was laid out on a huge hammock in the Cullens' backyard. In the bright sunlight her shimmering, golden figure looked like an ethereal vision. Both Bella and Emmett sighed with happiness at the sight, prompting the girl in question to look up from her book and smile.

"Hello," she said, surprised to see them both and relieved to see the shadow had lifted from Bella's face.

"Hey," Bella smiled. "Will this thing hold me and the Hulk too?"

Rosalie laughed and made room on the hammock. It was a tight fit but they managed it. Bella lay back on one side of Rosalie while Emmett lay on the other. She sighed contentedly as Rosalie's arms fit around her like a glove. This was likely the last warm, sunny day they'd have before winter hit in earnest and Bella would miss seeing Rosalie in such a relaxed state. She loved the warmth of the sun so much. Watching her, it made Bella wonder what it would be like to have skin as cold as hers. Bella could hear better than any human, but she had to consciously turn it on or off. To hear as the vampires do...to see and touch as they do...

Bella felt a rush of excitement at the idea of so much power before she mentally slapped herself for thinking it. It wasn't her who wanted more...it was the monster...

"What's up?" Rosalie asked. She must have felt her body tense.

"Nothing," Bella replied. "I was just wondering if vampires were ticklish."

"Oh they are," Emmett said slyly. "But only if another vampire does the tickling!"

And with that Emmett proceeded to attack Rosalie, who yelped and tried to hide behind Bella. Unfortunately for her Bella was firmly on Emmett's side of this impromptu war. Letting an evil grin take over her face, Bella did everything she could to keep Rosalie's most ticklish spots undefended for Emmett's relentless assault. Rosalie finally had enough and flipped her over so Bella was in the middle.

"Good grief, I'm love with two 5-year olds," she grumbled.

Bella nuzzled into her. Three months ago she would never have been able to be so close to her in front of Emmett. Now, nothing felt more natural.

"You know it wasn't that long ago that I was a 5-year old," Bella mused out loud.

Rosalie turned to look at her. "Does it bother you?" She asked quietly. "The age difference?"

"No..." Bella started. "I mean, it's nothing compared to Esme and Carlisle. It is kind of weird though to think that you two are basically 100 years old. Does it bother you?"

Rosalie smiled softly. "It's not like we age, Bells," she said, sadly. "My body is 18."

Emmett responded before Bella opened her mouth. "But we've still lived, Rose. Even if you can't tell by looking at us..."

Bella observed how hard Rosalie worked to stamp out the sadness on her face. At least she's trying, she thought.

"I would never have met you," Bella whispered. "Either of you..."

Rosalie smiled softly and squirmed a little-Bella got the hint and snuggled even deeper inside her arms. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted Rosalie and Emmett's hands entwined together.

The sun, the warmth, and the sheer comfort of her position soon sent Bella dozing off. Rosalie smiled at the tell-tale signs...and admired the peace adorning Bella's face.

"She loves you so much," Emmett whispered long after Bella closed her eyes.

Rosalie looked up and searched his face. "How are you doing so far?" She asked.

He smiled. "I'm perfectly fine, Rose. It's weird sometimes...no not in a bad way!" He added when her face betrayed her worry. "It's weird to watch someone else love you, care about you the same way I do...when I watch her looking at you, talking to you, or even knowing that she's thinking about you...I dunno, it's like looking in a mirror sometimes."

Rosalie raised her eyebrows. "Ok, a fun house mirror," he said, grinning. "But anyway...you know what I mean?"

"I think so," she replied slowly. "It might be why you two are always so...well, on the same wavelength I guess. Sometimes I think you two get each other more than I get either one of you," she teased, rolling her eyes.

Emmett chuckled. "Bella Bear and Emmett, the dynamic duo," he grinned. "Batman and Robin!"

She snorted. "As long as you're not under the impression you'll be Batman."

"Hey!" He pouted. "Look at these muscles, babe! I'm definitely Batman."

She moved her hand past his neck and pinched his ear ("Ow!"). She was about to embarrass him by pointing out that _she_ wore the pants in their relationship, and therefore he really wasn't Batman material...but then Bella stirred and distracted them both, luckily for Emmett.

She smiled at the little stretches and yawns that escaped her lips. Sleeping was one of the things Rosalie missed the most. How liberating it must feel to simply stop...being...for a few hours...to wake up refreshed and recharged. It got so terribly tiring to be awake all the damn time.

Bella was so far gone she probably didn't realize exactly where she was. Surprising the two vampires on either side of her, she lightly pulled Rosalie even closer while at the same time, snuggled a little into Emmett.

Rosalie chuckled at the look on Emmett's face. "Relax," she whispered. "She probably thinks you're a giant pillow."

"Uh huh," Emmett said, still a little flustered at this close proximity...he didn't have Rosalie's practice with a human. Then he grinned. "She's quite the cuddly teddy bear, isn't she?"

Oh poor Bella, Rosalie thought. Emmett's never gonna let her live this one down.

* * *

"For the third time, Ms. Swan! Will you please answer when I call your name?"

Huh? Oh man...

Bella really needed to work on her attention span. Every other day it seemed she was getting called out for daydreaming. It was true that she found herself spacing out much more these days but Bella attributed it to trying to ignore Jessica and Lauren and their ever-present and ever-growing group of allies. Her actual work was still flawless as ever, but teachers were beginning to notice her constant mental absence. Honestly she was also bored to death-how did the Cullens do it year after year?

"Sorry, Mrs. Hashim," Bella said.

Next to her, Jessica rolled her eyes and whispered, "Planning your wedding? You really think the Cullens won't see through your schemes?"

Bella couldn't believe that 'Bella and Edward, kissing in a tree' was still something high-schoolers did. But here they were six weeks since the first day back and nothing Bella did could stamp out the rumors that she was shopping for entry into the Cullens' family via Edward. Edward was a nice enough guy (albeit creepy, moody, and oh yeah, still fighting the urge to kill her) but the idea of a romance with that particular vampire made her want to gag. It was lucky he couldn't read her mind, but she shuddered to think of what he's been hearing from the rest of the school.

It's no wonder he's been avoiding you, she thought. Then again it seemed like he was avoiding everybody. Still unsure whether it was a good or troubling development, she nonetheless pondered at Edward's odd behavior since returning from Denali. There were days when she saw him only in passing in the school hallways. They were biology partners, sure, but both of them knew the material so well they could get through a whole lab without speaking a word to the other. Then, on other days, Edward wouldn't move ten feet away from her. This was especially grating to Rosalie who, for some reason, would grit her teeth and visibly strain not to pounce on him whenever he was in both of their presence. Bella often asked her what her deal was, but Rosalie would flare her nostrils and say it was 'old brother/sister stuff' and change the subject. Emmett, who was as puzzled as Bella, figured it was just the old wounds from when Bella left, and told her as much. But Bella wasn't convinced.

"For crying out loud, Bella!"

God damn it.

"Sorry, Mrs. Hashim," Bella replied, abashed. "The answer is foreshadowing, which refers to the use of indicative words, phrases and hints that set the stage for a story to unfold and give the reader a hint of something that is going to happen without revealing the story or spoiling the suspense. Foreshadowing is used to suggest an upcoming outcome to the story."

The teacher nodded reluctantly and moved on while Bella tried not to sigh in exasperation. Twenty more months of this, she groaned silently to herself. And then what? The small voice in her head asked, what will she do...where will she go after? It's clear she can't stay here with Charlie. Bella wasn't blind-he was obviously making an effort with her. She was still astonished, though immensely grateful...but she didn't think he would ever be able to look at her without seeing the girl who killed his wife. Perhaps soon they could pull off a civilized relationship. But would he ever love her again? Would he ever forgive her? Bella wanted to hope, but every time she felt a twinge of happiness when Charlie said or did something that was actually...nice, she would remind herself that odds were, there was a bullet with her name on it in his gun. She didn't want to believe she could have a relationship with her father only for everything to come crashing down on her. And yet...

The Cullens...nobody had uttered the word. Nobody had dared. But it was clear as day what they all wanted. It was inevitable...one of them was bound to bring it up...and Bella dreaded that conversation more than anything else. She couldn't imagine how she'd react when that day came. But she knew...she knew in her heart what her answer would be.

"That's it, Bella!" Mrs. Hashim's face was red with anger. "I'll see you after school in detention!"

Fucking hell. That's the second time this week.

Jessica looked like Christmas had come early, and when the bell signaled the end of class she and Lauren snickered and made a point of shoving past her on their way out.

Two can play that game, Bella thought, narrowing her eyes.

"Oomph!"

Bella's face betrayed nothing as she walked past Jessica and Lauren's sprawled out figures on the floor. It appeared they had both tripped on something pretty solid in the hallway that was now, mysteriously, gone without a trace.

* * *

Bella put aside her book when she saw that Rosalie was at her window. Since Charlie had begun to visit her more, and since her door was easily within sight of the house, Rosalie had started using the other entry to her shed for her nighttime visits. The blonde was not particularly pleased with this.

"I feel like bloody Romeo," Rosalie grumbled as she landed smoothly inside.

"Not a fan, huh?" Bella laughed and welcomed her with a kiss.

"Melodramatic idiot," Rosalie confirmed. "And don't get me started on Juliet."

"Right then," Bella smiled. "So I shouldn't ask for help on that essay."

Rosalie snorted. "Like you don't already have the play memorized." She put her bag down by the bed and climbed into it. The school's copy of Romeo and Juliet got tossed aside with a roll of her eyes.

Bella laughed. "Is your issue with angsty, suicidal love or do you take offense to the Bard himself?"

"Just Romeo...the moron," she mumbled. "But I like the rest. And the sonnets rule."

"Oh?" Bella asked with a glint in her eyes. "So I could've saved us all that time and wooed you with 'shall I compare thee to a summer's day'?

"Do you know how many idiots have tried that on me over the years?" Rosalie asked, rolling her eyes again. She made herself more comfortable on the bed, mostly by holding the younger girl close in her arms. Bella sighed in happiness. She had been looking forward to this all day.

"Oh I dunno... 'thy eternal summer shall not fade, nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st' is certainly oddly appropriate," Bella muttered through her light kisses to Rosalie's neck.

"They never made it to that line," Rosalie said. She was starting to lose focus on everything save for Bella's lips on her skin.

Bella chuckled. "So I'm the first? Something tells me poetry's not Emmett's style..."

She never got a chance to answer. Bella, who could no longer contain herself, had moved to straddle her legs and had started furiously attacking her mouth with her own.

Bella loosened her lips from hers to breathe and whispered, "'all days are nights to see till I see thee, and nights bright days when dreams do show thee me...'"

Rosalie's heart, despite its long dormancy, twitched in her chest...or so she imagined anyway.

Bella's shirt was soon discarded and, while she worked on Rosalie's shirt with trembling hands, Rosalie took the moment to study the girl in front of her. She gulped. She wanted her...so badly.

"'Blessed are you whose worthiness gives scope, being had, to triumph; being lacked, to hope,'" Rosalie smiled.

"Unsurprisingly," Bella chuckled and ducked Rosalie's playful slap. "Hey!...and here I was gonna tell you 'though art all the better part of me'"

Rosalie would've responded if Bella hadn't chosen that moment to cover her breasts with her mouth. She moaned in pleasure...it would be awhile before she remembered her own name. Bella in the meantime moaned in hunger. She wanted more, so much more of Rosalie.

The rest of their clothes quickly found a home on the floor. From the start, Bella, who was a relative newcomer to social convention and propriety, had not displayed nor indeed felt much discomfort with casual nudity. When they weren't busy with what that nudity often led to, Bella rarely felt compelled to put her clothes back on. Bella found that the longer she stayed disrobed, the longer Rosalie did too...so really, was there a better incentive than that?

Suddenly, Bella found herself roughly manhandled so she was lying on her stomach beneath Rosalie. Her eyelids fluttered and she moaned into the pillow. Rosalie was inching down her back, tortuously slow, using her lips, tongue and the lightest touch of her teeth. Bella involuntarily ground her hips into the bed beneath her as Rosalie descended further and further.

"Ohh," Bella groaned. "Fffuck..."

Bella wrapped her hands around the bars of the backboard and tried, and utterly failed to keep her breathing even. Rosalie should win an award for the things she could do with her mouth. And her tongue...my god, her tongue.

Gradually and without really knowing it, Bella had moved herself further and further out so that she was on her knees and her butt was sticking out for the easiest access. Rosalie was taking full advantage of this.

"That's one hell of a view, Bells," she murmured. Even Bella had to blush at that, but before she could shyly lower herself, Rosalie plunged two fingers inside her.

Bella scrunched her eyes and whimpered as Rosalie picked up speed. Her hips matched Rosalie's hand, and Bella was so turned on and wet that in no time Rosalie was adding a third and fourth finger.

She was so close, so goddamn close when Rosalie pulled out without warning.

"Hang on," Rosalie whispered, cutting off her indignant protest.

Must be her scent, Bella thought. Fuck, fuck what a shitty time. Bella was literally trembling on the bed and itching for release.

A minute later, Rosalie starting moving on top of her again, and Bella sighed happily when she felt her hands between her legs once more. But something else...not Rosalie's hands...was rubbing against her opening.

Bella swiftly turned her head to look at Rosalie, who was staring back at her with dark, burning eyes. Rosalie silently took Bella's hand so she could feel the foreign object for herself before giving consent. Like she would say no...the ravenous look on Rosalie's face was enough for Bella to sign her life away if the blonde had asked.

Bella slowly nodded and looked back one more time as Rosalie got into position. Bella's eyes widened as she saw that...that thing was inside of Rosalie too. Oh my god.

Rosalie took her time, and Bella held her breath as the...thing...was slowly inched inside of her. When it was finally all the way in, Rosalie nearly lost control from the sight of it all. Fighting to keep herself from biting her girlfriend, she gradually thrust her hips back and forth.

Thirty minutes later, Bella thought she was going to die. Rosalie's pace had intensified to an unthinkable level. Bella had already orgasmed too many times for her to keep track, and still Rosalie continued on. She felt another buildup start deep within her and groaned, urging Rosalie on. She was going to have trouble walking tomorrow...but it was so, so worth it.

Bella chanced a look back for the first time since they began...and nearly came from the site that greeted her. A completely naked Rosalie...blond hair flowing down her back...her eyes nearly pitch black...her body moving like she was possessed. Rosalie's mouth opened slightly, and Bella knew she was about to come too. Her eyes lowered to meet Bella's and they stayed fixated on each other until they both crashed over the edge.

Somewhere, Bella found the sense of mind to open the window and banish what she could of her scent for Rosalie's sake before collapsing face down onto the bed. Rosalie too, fell heavily on top of her. Neither moved for a long time as Bella slowly regained her power of speech. In the meantime though she found another use for her mouth and used it to cover Rosalie's face with kisses.

Unbelievably, within minutes Bella found herself moaning again. Was she catching something from Rosalie? She entwined her arms around Rosalie's neck and pulled her down for a long, deep kiss that spoke volumes of Bella's wants and desires.

When the kiss broke, she looked up and paused everything so she could take in the beauty above her. Bella swallowed and whispered, "'for nothing this wide universe I call, save thou, my Rose; in it thou art my all.'"

Rosalie closed her eyes and sighed, then gasped loudly as Bella, without any warning, yanked the toy from inside her.

Bella grinned beneath her. "My turn."

* * *

**Author's note: Too cheesy? I hope not. Just so you know, I read and reread all freaking 154 sonnets for this. Sonnets referenced are 18, 39, 43, 52, and 109.**

**OH, and if you're just DYING to know, the toy Rosalie used is a feeldoe. DO NOT do a google image search around other people, lol. You have been warned!**

**Hope you enjoyed the fluff. More angst to come unfortunately. Please reward me with a review? I know I haven't replied to last chapter's reviews yet but I promise I will (and to the many, many *wink* reviews I'll get from this one) as soon as I get back from camping this weekend. Just think, if I encounter a bear and lose my life, your reviews will be the last thing I read...so make 'em good!**


	46. Power

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

**Author's note: The last scene is rather...disturbing. Don't want to spoil things for you, but seriously...you've been warned.**

* * *

Bella lay panting, one hand linked firmly with Rosalie's, the other playing with her necklace. They had finally taken a break from that bout of adventurous love-making.

"What the hell is that thing anyway?"

Rosalie chuckled. "I thought you knew everything?" She asked, teasingly. Bella gave her a look and she continued. "It was gonna be a gag birthday gift."

Oh.

"...from Emmett."

"WHAT?"

Oh god. Oh god, oh god, oh god. Bella burned bright red as she curled up into the smallest ball possible. Is it possible to die of embarrassment?

Next to her, Rosalie bit her lip and debated with herself whether to share anymore.

"Does he know you brought it tonight?" Bella mumbled.

"Um," she started. "...no I didn't tell him!" Rosalie added quickly after seeing her face. "But, well...Alice...kinda sorta...saw it."

"Oh. My. God." Bella moaned and hid her face in her pillow.

Rosalie struggled not to laugh out loud at Bella's mortification. Long, long ago she might have felt the same way, but after so many years sharing a house with other vampires...there really was no reason to feel embarrassed. She was very much aware of what went on in their bedrooms too. And with an empath, a psychic, and a mind reader...what was the point?

"Bells." Another idea occurred to Rosalie. "Does it bother you to think of Emmett and me?"

"No," Bella looked up from the pillow. "I know you love each other...but...I guess I don't think too much about you two being physical," she admitted.

Rosalie gently forced her back into her arms. "Think about it now," she whispered. She hesitated, unsure how to phrase what she desperately wanted to say. "There...there might come a time when we're sharing a house...when you...or he might hear..."

Bella's heart pounded in her chest. Don't. Don't. Don't, she silently screamed. Not now. Don't do this now!

She looked up and prayed her mask was good enough for Rosalie. "I can't promise something won't explode the first time it happens," she said. "But we've gotten past so much already...there's no reason to think we won't overcome that."

Rosalie smiled, and Bella, feeling the mask slip a little, smiled back and quickly hid her face again. It wasn't the thought of Emmett with Rosalie that made her feel this despair. Bella knew perfectly well what Rosalie was about to insinuate...and she feared she may have inadvertently given her lover the wrong idea by not asking her for clarity. Sharing a house...able to listen...that was a vampire problem, not a human one.

"I love you," whispered Rosalie.

Bella forced her tears to refrain from falling. "I love you too," she replied with all her heart.

* * *

"Ok, Bella. I'd like to change things up today."

Carlisle and Bella walked a few miles north of the house to what had become their usual training spot. Since Bella's trip with Rosalie definitively proved her control over the destructive gift, Carlisle had decreed they could safely continue to practice closer to town and thus, closer to home.

Bella looked at him warily. He looked excited, like a man in the midst of his favorite hobby. Bella could only sigh...Carlisle was still utterly fascinated by Bella's gifts. She suspected that these excursions together were as much about satisfying his limitless curiosity as they were about helping her hone her control.

She glanced at the huge box he effortlessly carried. What was he planning for her?

"What you've accomplished thus far is exemplary, Bella." He set down the box and unlocked the latch. "You've managed to tame the most volatile aspect of your gift. Strong emotions such as stress and excitement, though still capable of making you feel the need to unleash the fire, don't take over anymore. And I understand that even when you call it up on purpose, you still maintain control."

Bella nodded, and knowing Carlisle was eager for a demonstration, rolled her eyes and silently complied. She held out her hand and willed a small fireball to appear there, and of course it did. To the observer it looked to be hovering a few inches above her hand but Bella knew that even if it engulfed her fist nothing would happen to her.

"Very good," Carlisle smiled proudly. "And if you wanted to change its shape, its size, its intensity..."

She followed his cues and did as he suggested. The fireball leveled out into a straight line, then grew to circumscribe them, surrounding them and expanded so it was over five feet tall, then changed color as it burned hotter and hotter.

"Excellent," Carlisle beamed. A second later the fire went out leaving no trace.

"What I'd like for us to work on next is finer control," Carlisle said. "The kind of control you already have over wind...though I suspect even that could use some improvement. With some thinking and practice I think we can find other ways you can use your fire power...and in a manner that isn't so conspicuous..."

Bella grew a little uncomfortable. She knew what Carlisle was talking about. She had already found one such inconspicuous use of her destructive gift...but she didn't think she should share it with him. The small zaps she sent her tormentors in school...when the bullying got too much, especially on sunny days when the Cullens couldn't be there...No, she suspected Carlisle would not approve of the creative ways she fought back.

The box at Carlisle's feet drew her attention once again. Carlisle bend down and retrieved...another box from inside it. He opened that one too and...took out yet another box. Like Russian nesting dolls, each box gave birth to another until Bella was left standing wondering what the hell Carlisle was going to make her do.

After taking out the smallest box, he surprised her and put it right back where it come from. Carlisle took a step back and turned to her. "Bella, I want you to burn this box."

That's it?

"Hang on," he added. "I want you to burn it...without harming the one inside of it."

How the hell was she supposed to do that? Bella's fire, though perfectly in her control now, still had a mind of its own. There's no way she could do as Carlisle asked.

"Try it Bella," he said. "Concentrate on the smallest fire first. Keep it burning low and just on the edge."

Bella looked at the box and did as he suggested. It was easy to concentrate the fire on just one small spot. But when she enveloped the whole box in her flames it was soon clear that the smoldering mess included the inner box as well.

She sighed in frustration. "Try again," Carlisle called out, this time pointing to another set of boxes, one inside the other.

And again, Bella failed.

"Again, Bella."

She rolled her eyes and yet again faced the stupid boxes in front of her. Suddenly an idea came to her. What if she used the air as a barrier between the two? She recalled how lately she'd been able to mold the air as if it were a solid object...mostly in order to trip Jessica and Lauren or send a shove their way. Again, she felt a stab of guilt as she thought of the ways she'd been using her powers lately.

Nothing to do but try it, she thought. Before calling on the spark, this time she first visualized a thick blanket of air in between the two boxes. Then she imagined that blanket into a more solid form. Protect the small box, she ordered it, then lit the fuse.

"Excellent!" Carlisle cried out. There indeed was the small box. Not a scratch on its surface while the bigger box had been reduced to ashes.

"What changed? How did you do it?" Carlisle asked eagerly.

Bella explained, though she left out the bits about Jessica and Lauren. "Marvelous!" He said, before moving on to another set of boxes.

"This time, I want you to burn the smaller box, and the smaller one only."

Is he crazy? If there was one thing Bella knew for sure, is that she had to see the target in order to light it.

"Carlisle, I don't think that's going to work..."

"Why not?" He asked. "When you used to lose control, you never remembered the actual fires, right?" She nodded. "So technically, you, Bella, were never really conscious through it all. You didn't actually see the fires as they happened. It was the monster, as you so often put it. But now you control that 'monster.' What's to say you can't still keep your eyes closed and control it at the same time?"

Bella stared at him and at the box. Fine, she thought angrily. He'll see it won't work.

Five sets of boxes later, Carlisle frowned at her and said, "you're not really trying, Bella..."

"Because it's impossible!"

"Nothing is impossible," he said. "You of all people should know that. Now please set those thoughts aside and _try harder_."

She bit back a snide remark and glared angrily at the new box in front of her. The solid air barrier was easy and came up quick. But she couldn't for the life of her ignite the hidden box without first consuming the one surrounding it. Concentrate, she told herself. Picture it in your head. It's a red box. The big one is yellow. Burn the red one. Leave the yellow. So what if you can't see it? She thought, sarcastically. You know it's there. It's ten feet away from you, taking up space...displacing air...solid and strong. It wants to be burned...just like everything else...it wants to melt away. You'll feel so good when it explodes inside...when it turns to ashes. _Dammit, burn!_

Carlisle held out his hand and Bella tore herself away from her runaway thoughts.

"See?" She said. "It's not gonna happen."

But Carlisle wasn't listening to her. He bent down and opened the latch on the big yellow box. Bella's stomach dropped when she saw the inside.

The red box was gone. Ashes lay in its place.

Carlisle beamed. Bella's face remained blank. No, she thought. No, no, no!

"I have one more task for you," Carlisle began. He took something out of his backpack. It looked like a large hunk of metal. "This is a metal called tungsten. It's one of the strongest metals on earth. I don't want you to burn it." He set the metal inside yet another box. "I want you to use your wind power this time to fold the metal in on itself. Reshape it. Flatten it. Do whatever you like as long it looks completely different when you're done with it."

He closed the box and stepped back again.

Bella stared at the box. Gone was the doubt from her mind. Could she do as he wanted? Yes, she believed she could. There was nothing she couldn't do...not anymore.

It only took a second before she nodded to Carlisle. Silently he opened the box. Bella didn't have to peer inside to know that the 20-pound piece of metal was as flat as a piece of paper. It was easy. It was ludicrously easy.

"Are we done?" Bella asked. "I'd like to go for a walk."

"Yes, of course," Carlisle said, still examining the metal. "You did a great job today, Bella."

He smiled warmly at her. She smiled back.

* * *

Bella walked on and on. She did not have a destination in mind, nor did she care to keep track of her surroundings. She simply moved her legs back and forth, back and forth until she arbitrarily decided to stop. Her mind was so empty right now. As her eyes traveled over the trees and brush surrounding her, she slowly allowed the thoughts to return. She could burn without seeing...she could destroy without having to witness...she could, she could...

Was there anything she couldn't do? Was the extent of her power only limited by her imagination? By Carlisle's? A large, thick branch dangled precariously from the tree in front of her. Without a thought she brought it down near her face. She stared at it, and a moment later it creaked and groaned as she bent it into all sorts of unnatural angles, not letting it break like it wanted to. The game got boring soon and she incinerated the branch.

A scurrying noise startled her but she calmed when she saw it was just a squirrel. It was running fast up the tree Bella had just defaced...a large gouged hole twenty feet up told her it probably stored food up there. The animal almost made it inside when it suddenly froze. Bella didn't blink, but instead walked forward as the squirrel floated down smoothly until it was level with her face. Its little heart was beating madly in its chest. Its eyes looked every which way but nothing else was going to be able to move until Bella released its body.

Why didn't she have a limit? The squirrel slammed against the tree. Once, twice, three times. Its heart, already deafening, picked up speed as she levitated it close to her face once again. She thought she may have broken one of its ribs. No limit but your imagination...Bella looked up and down the animal's body and cocked her head. She focused on its right paw. Smoke unfurled from it and the animal let out a loud screech, and another, and another as the fur from its paw slowly burned up and melted off. When she stopped, the squirrel's right arm was one big blistering mess.

Oh shut up, she thought. The small animal was screeching and crying incessantly. Shut up! It did. Not because of any effort on its part, but because Bella's invisible hold was tightening around its neck. Its heart sped up even more but still there was nothing it could do. Bella stopped squeezing. This was too easy. Much too easy. Its heart continued to hammer in its chest, a ta-ta-ta-ta-ta fluttering hundreds of beats per minute. She thought back to the hunk of metal. She was so confident of her success even before Carlisle opened the box. It should've required more effort, more trial and error...a lot more error. But it didn't and somehow Bella had sensed it wouldn't. For the first time in her life that power that she'd always felt coursing through her ever since the incident felt...right. It was hers. It was hers to command, hers to enjoy, hers to use. She was able to flatten the metal because...she knew she could. Simple as that. Now that she wasn't limited by what she could see...was there anything she couldn't do?

Ta-ta-ta-ta-ta...the animal still floated in front of her. Its limbs tried and tried to free itself but nothing budged. Nothing would ever budge again. Bella focused on it and listened to its tiny heart...watched the flutters that were visible from its shaking chest. Ta-ta-ta-ta...

A second later, the sounds stopped. The animal floated gently down to the ground and Bella finally released it from her grip. Just like with the metal, Bella did not need additional confirmation to know what had happened. She had wanted it to happen...and so it had.

The animal died because Bella incinerated its heart.

* * *

**Author's note: No squirrels were harmed during the making of this chapter. Seriously that was kind of tough. I feel...dirty. Is this what it's like to write for a show like Dexter? Reeeeally looking forward to hearing your analysis of this, especially after what you've read in the last few chapters. I will respond to every comment so remember, the more substantial your review, the more substantial my response :)**

**Oh, and a shout-out to my crazy, crazy, awesome fellow Egyptians. I'm from Egypt (live in the states) and have been pretty distracted this week with the insanity happening over there. Thank god that crazy idiot/terrorist is out of office. Tahia Masr!.**


	47. Monster

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight**

**Author's note: Oh, what the hell. For the 3rd scene listen to 'Dexter Blood Theme Piano Cover' by pianistos on Youtube. **

* * *

_The animal died because Bella incinerated its heart._

Bella's own heart seemed to stop for several long, agonizing seconds before it started back up faster and louder than ever.

_Thump, thump, thump._

The dead animal lay at her feet. Its limbs outstretched pitifully, its face looking up to the heavens, to Bella. Its eyes had yet to close. They looked at the trees, at the sky, at Bella, at nothing.

Bella stared back. At the speed of light, her mind was playing back what had happened. Everything was there...every moment, every second, every decision she made, every action she took. There was no hiding from it.

_Thump, thump, thump._

Her heart continued to thunder in her chest. Without thinking she glanced at the rest of the squirrel's mutilated body and before she knew it strong, bitter vomit was forcing its way out of her stomach and onto the ground. She heaved and heaved again and again as everything she had eaten that day ended up strewn about the forest floor by the squirrel.

_What have I done?_

She had barely asked herself the question when suddenly she heard a noise coming from the east. Footsteps. Panic overwhelmed her. This cannot be seen. A moment later the squirrel disappeared in a fiery flash.

Edward appeared in the forest.

"Bella? Are you alright?"

She stared blankly back at him. Did he see? Did he hear the animal's tortured cries? Bella wished she could vanquish its screams from her mind along with its body, but it was still there...still ringing in her head. It would always be there, she realized. She would never be able to rid herself of that memory.

Edward continued to slowly approach her. "I heard-and smelled-you vomiting," he explained. "I was hunting not far from here. Are you alright?" He repeated.

"Yes," Bella answered. Her voice shouldn't sound so normal. Why didn't it betray her? "Something I ate must not agree with me."

He continued to move closer. Bella, who was still kneeling on the ground eyed him warily. She knew Edward was lying. He never hunted this close to town. None of them did.

"You look terrible," he muttered and kneeled alongside her. Bella gulped and forced herself not to glance down at the ashes not a yard from Edward's feet. Did fire diminish a Vampire's sense of smell? Would he still detect the burnt flesh, the animal's potent fear in the air? She felt more bile rise up in her throat as her mind momentarily flashed to the naked fear in the squirrel's eyes. Her hands shook and she swallowed the sickness in her mouth.

"Please," Edward rose and held out his hand. "Allow me to escort you back."

"I'm fine...I'm not ready to go back just yet." Bella wanted a few more minutes out here next to the remains of her...victim. She didn't know why exactly, or what she'd do with the time, but the idea felt right.

"Please," he said again. "It's not safe out here. There's a grizzly a mile away heading in this direction. I'd rather not take any chances."

Once again, Edward was lying. Did he forget how good her hearing was? She strained it now, searching for this grizzly and found nothing. She didn't like this feeling of unease that crept over her. What was he up to?

"All right," she said and allowed him to take her hand.

* * *

Charlie tapped his foot on the linoleum of the station's floor. He'd be able to leave as soon as his deputy arrived. Normally his colleagues had to force him out the door, but not today. Today he had somewhere he wanted to be and the wait was killing him.

"Good grief, Chief! You got a date with a trout or something?" The dispatcher, Nicole, had never seen her boss acting like this. It was both amusing and unnerving.

Charlie was so distracted he didn't catch drift of her question until much later. "Huh? Oh," he smiled. "Nah I'm just gonna watch the game with Billy."

Nicole grunted, "Really? You're not fooling me, Chief. You're up to something...I can tell. But hey! Don't tell little ol' Nicole, starved for any bit of interesting news. That's cool," she pouted.

He laughed and looked away just as his Deputy strolled in.

"All yours, Pete!" He yelled on his way out. Inside, his colleagues stared at one another with the same question visible on their faces: since when does Chief Swan skip?

Oblivious and unaware that his odd behavior would be tonight's main topic of conversation at the Forks police department, Charlie drove the twenty miles to La Push, gunning it a little whenever he saw a deserted stretch of highway.

Billy's house was small and somewhat shabby, but a house's construction isn't what makes it a home. Billy and his family did not want for anything, he knew. Besides, there was enough useful junk on this property to give the place a distinct sense of character.

A metal clanging and a loud "shit!" from the makeshift garage drew his attention, so Charlie walked over to investigate. This was the real reason he was here anyway.

"Chief Swan!"

Charlie almost did a double take when he saw the boy, no, the young man rise from his place on the dirt floor and limp his way.

"Jacob! What happened to your leg? And what the hell is your old man feeding you?"

If he hadn't known the boy for over half his life Charlie would never have guessed he was only 15. It's been a good few months since he saw him, sure, but this was crazy! Charlie's police instincts were telling him to check for steroids in his bedroom.

Jacob grinned good-naturedly. "Aw, I'm just a growing kid. Runs in the family, you know."

"Uh huh," Charlie muttered. "And your leg?"

"Dropped a wrench on my toe just now."

And your toe didn't break the wrench? Charlie wondered. He shook his head. He could believe what Jacob said about his physique though. A lot of kids on this reservation developed some wicked muscles in high school. Now that he was looking at Jacob up close, he recalled seeing a group of others his age on the road to La Push. Some of them looked familiar, and all of them looked like gym rats. Must be something in the water.

"Well, be careful Jacob," Charlie said. "You sure you can handle this?"

"Chief! I'm hurt!" Jacob grinned again. "You'll be begging to give me more dough when I'm done with this baby. You'll think you were driving a '68, not a '53!"

Charlie chuckled and eyed the rusty red hulk of a truck that was taking up most of the space in the 'garage.' Like everything out here in La Push, it was old and battered and used...but boy did it have character. At the moment though it looked more like it was in the middle of open heart surgery. The engine and untold number of nuts and bolts were strewn about in absolutely no order. The transmission was lying on its side in the truck bed. And was that the steering wheel on the roof?

"Don't sweat it!" Jacob's confidence almost made him forget he was a teenager. Then again the kid was a wiz with cars. Charlie was technically not allowed to have anybody but insurance and state approved shops work on police vehicles...good thing Jacob knew better than to blab about it to his friends. "It'll be ready in time. You have my word."

"Good, good," Charlie nodded and turned to leave. "Thanks a million, kid. You'll get your last check when you deliver."

"Awesome!" Jacob grinned. "Hey, who's this for, anyway?"

Charlie smiled softly. "It's for my daughter. For Bella."

* * *

The shed's roof was slanted and not like the roofs Bella had frequently slept on in the past, but it was still a rooftop and Bella still felt an odd sense of comfort in laying on it. Even if she dozed off and fell, she knew her power would prevent impact. There was no chance of falling asleep though, not when the animal she had mutilated kept appearing just beyond her closed eyelids.

_What have I done?_

The question replayed over and over in her mind. Bella tried to find a reason, some sense in what she'd done, but there was none to be found. She had killed that squirrel, tortured it, and until she realized exactly what she'd done...she had enjoyed it. _No, no, no!_ She didn't like causing pain, she insisted to herself. But then...what was it about the experience that had her so hypnotised? She did NOT enjoy the torture...but she did enjoy using her powers. She was so uninhibited in the forest, so free...so in sync with the power inside her.

_I don't want this._

It was surreal to think of herself in control, really in control of her powers. The time since her trip with Rosalie was one thing. This...this was something else. All her life Bella had treated what was inside her like a cancer. It was foreign and unnatural, not part of her but an invader. The monster and she were separate...and who could blame her for her logic? Bella did not control her most destructive gift...the monster did. Bella did not lash out and hurt people...the monster did. Bella did not enjoy burning, destroying...

Or did she?

When it was finally beaten into submission months ago, Bella thought the monster was now under her control. It had struggled and struggled to come out and control her like it used to, but Bella had won every time. Today, there was no fight. There was no struggle. There was neither victor nor loser. There was only Bella.

Bella was the one who tortured and killed that poor animal, not the monster. The thought brought a cold shudder through her body. Her mind once again replayed every second of that deranged encounter. Though nauseated by what her educated mind knew was wrong and immoral, Bella could not deny the feelings of euphoria _and rightness_ that had flooded her body while she tortured the squirrel's.

The implications nearly had her throwing up again. She balled a fist around a stray piece of wood on the roof, not stopping until it hurt a little. There was only one explanation that she could think of.

She and the monster were now one.

_Knock, Knock._

Cursing his timing, Bella deftly jumped through the window and raced down the stairs to open the door for Charlie.

"Hi Bella," Charlie said with a small but nervous small.

Bella didn't smile back. It was a miracle she didn't scream, really. She was able to gather some wits after a few seconds though and came to her senses.

"H-hello," she whispered.

He frowned. "You ok? You look a bit queasy."

She nodded quickly. "Mmm. Had some bad food this afternoon. Haven't been feeling too good."

"Oh," he shuffled his feet. "Well, ah...I just ordered a pizza. I guess you might not feel up to it but...if you're hungry...you wanna come into the house for a while? To eat?"

Bella _was_ hungry, but if she had any sense left in her, any at all, she would not follow Charlie back to the house. Not after what she had just seen...

But then again, he had never invited her in. This would be the first time she had an actual meal with her father.

"Ok," she nodded.

His smile widened a little, and he stepped aside to give her some space as they walked to the house together.

Bella looked at him out of the corner of her eye, but the image that had terrified her moments ago was still there...sharp and alarming and vivid as ever.

The ghost of a smile still adorned his face as they stepped into the house together. If he could look through her eyes though, he would not be smiling. Because although Bella could plainly see her father making an effort and taking steps to have a relationship with his daughter, Bella saw something else too.

There on Charlie's face, Bella saw the twitching, tortured, screaming face of the squirrel.

* * *

**Author's note: Short but, ah, no not very sweet is it? **

**I loved reading your reviews of the last chapter. I had a lot of fun responding (and going back and forth with a few of you!). Once again, I will respond to every review you leave. Feel free to ask questions. I won't answer possible spoilers but everything else is fair game. **


	48. Resolve

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

* * *

"Mrs. Hashim, this book is ridiculous."

Bella rolled her eyes but remained slouched at her desk. This was Eric's idea of answering a teacher's question...

Mrs. Hashim raised an eyebrow and sighed. She probably had somebody like him every year. Hell, every class most likely...

"Very well Mr. Yorkie. Would you care to enlighten your classmates as to just _why_ Crime and Punishment, one of the most important works of modern civilization, is...ridiculous?"

Eric leaned back in his chair and smiled what he probably thought was a winning grin.

"Because the dude, Raskolnikov, is nuts! He thinks he's superman so he goes on a murdering rampage? Just to prove that he's better than everyone else? Come on Mrs. H, even you have to agree that that's loopy."

"Oh I don't disagree with you Eric...completely anyway. Petrovich, the magistrate investigating the murders, himself more or less said that the criminal who committed those murders would either confess or go crazy. Guilt however is one of the main themes of the novel. Only the guilt-ridden have the potential for redemption through insanity or confession. So Raskolnikov is in fact, _not_ crazy. If he were, he wouldn't have gone through that long journey...he wouldn't care at all."

Jessica spoke up. "But I don't understand. How can a person go from 'I'm better than everyone else' to 'let's kill some people to prove it'?"

Several heads nodded in agreement with the student's inquiry. Bella faced forward and willed herself not to move.

The teacher sighed. "All right, let's look at this from another angle. Something a little easier to swallow than 19th century Russian thinking..."

"Eric," she said as she walked stiffly to stand in front of him. "I hereby bestow upon you...the power of Death. Congratulations."

She handed him the pen in her hand. "Your scythe, highness," she smirked.

Eric grinned and waved the pen in the air. "Thanks, Mrs. H. But you know I just killed you, right?"

"You don't really need the scythe, Eric. All you have to do it is _think it_...and I'm dead. Anyone, anywhere...their life is snuffed out because you, lord of Death, wanted it to happen. How does that feel?"

"Pretty cool," he replied, unaffected.

"Now imagine that power as automatic as yawning or even breathing. It's that easy. How do you feel?"

"Still good," he said.

"Someone trips you in the hall and you react. Boom, he's dead. Another teacher gives you a bad grade. Boom, she's dead. Your mom yells at you because you forgot to make your bed. She's dead too. Still feeling good?"

Eric looks at her questioningly. "What does this have to do with Crime and Punishment."

"Raskolnikov murders two people. But the murders are a result of his belief that he is above it all. Even if he didn't really have super powers, he believed his mind was a superpower...and that made him unique...someone above and beyond all the lowly people around him. He increasingly cuts himself off from society...from his family, his friends, foolishly believing that he is of different stock than they. Because of that perceived difference, that perceived superiority, he kills Alyona Ivanovna and Lizaveta and he really _does_ think he's doing the world a favor. But Raskolnikov is not a superman. Why? Because the guilt starts to eat away at him. The guilt lowers him to a human, and the novel argues that it's guilt more than any physical punishment that punishes criminals like him. That guilt can drive a person mad...but they have to be sane first. Sane and human. Only when a person like that goes insane or confesses out of guilt do we know for sure they had a conscience to begin with...that they are in fact capable of redemption and forgiveness."

The class sat in silence thinking over her words. Bella, who still had not moved since they started this conversation, gripped her pencil so hard it shattered, shattering the silence along with it. Everybody turned to look at her.

"Bella," the teacher called on her as she walked to the front of the room along her aisle. "Eric's just relinquished his power over death-sorry Eric. It's all yours now. What do you want to do?"

_I want to burn something_.

"T-try not to use it," Bella said.

Mrs. Hashim raised both eyebrows. "Come on, Bella! Be realistic here. You are the most powerful person in this room. A gift like that can't be coincidence. Why wield it if not to use it? And since you're the one with the power, it's only right that you get to decide our fate. If you think I'm wasting the air I breath, you should get rid of me. If you think Jessica or Eric or anybody doesn't deserve to live, you, like Raskolnikov, can fix it. Right?"

_Don't look at her. Don't look at her. Don't look at her._

Like that'll help anymore, she thought bitterly. Still, avoiding eye contact was too ingrained a habit to break so easily, so she continued to glare at the blackboard. Maybe if she did that long enough, the images around her would finally change.

"Bella, it's rude not to look at the person speaking to you."

_Please don't explode. Please don't explode._

Bella looked up. Her teacher, thankfully, did not collapse and die. Keeping her face perfectly neutral, Bella opened her mouth to speak.

The door burst opened and everyone turned to look at the intruder. It was Rosalie.

"Excuse me, Mrs. Hashim," she said. "Bella Swan is needed in the main office."

Bella released a big breath she didn't realize she was holding.

"We're in the middle of class, Ms. Hale," the teacher huffed, clearly irritated.

Rosalie shrugged. "I'm just the messenger," she said coolly. "But they told me to tell her to bring her stuff too."

Bella didn't bother waiting for the teacher to respond. In five seconds flat she had her things gathered and packed, and without a second glance at anyone in the class, walked out with her savior.

"Take everything," Rosalie pointed to her locker. "We're leaving."

"What about classes?" Bella asked but she did as Rosalie requested anyway.

"Alice will cover for us," Rosalie responded. "She'll find a way."

Together they walked quickly to Rosalie's bright red BMW and got in. Bella closed her eyes and counted from one to ten, grateful for not making a horrible mistake today. It had been a long time since she had to resort to one of her calming exercises, and she was pleasantly surprised that they still helped.

"How did you know?"

"Jasper could feel you freaking out," Rosalie said. "And I heard the discussion..."

Bella looked down, ashamed. A second later, she felt Rosalie's hand rest on top of her own.

"You are _not _a deranged criminal, Bella." Rosalie spoke urgently. "You have never acted superior to those around you. You would never kill just for fun. Every death...every death was an accident."

Except for one, Bella wanted to scream. That animal didn't just die by her hands. It experienced true terror. She tortured it without mercy before casually ending its life. From the moment she spotted it scurrying up that tree that animal had lost all its chances. Boom, dead.

And today...Bella would be lying if she thought Mrs. Hashim's words didn't affect her. How wonderful it would be...how easy to erase people like Jessica and Lauren from her life. It would only take a thought. A moment of clear decision and intention. Boom, dead.

Should she tell her? Rosalie wouldn't hate her but...she might look at her differently. Bella was strong, but not that strong. She couldn't stand the thought of making Rosalie uncomfortable or disappointing her.

_No. I have to try harder._

"Where are we going?" She squeezed the cold hand in her lap and willed its temperature to cool the rest of her.

"Wherever you'd like," Rosalie smiled. "I thought you might like to go flying..."

Bella smiled back. "Thanks for rescuing me," she said softly.

Rosalie brought her hand to her lips and left a gentle kiss.

* * *

After dropping Bella off at home, Rosalie decided to take a leisurely stroll back to the house. Their afternoon off was an enjoyable one. Though flying made her queasy, she relented and let Bella zoom her around to her heart's content without complaining. Whatever was bothering her had given way to the lovely carefree laughter that was inevitable whenever the girl took to the sky. Though Rosalie's default facial expression was steely ambivalence, she could not help but subconsciously smile whenever Bella, like Emmett, graced her thoughts.

The smile left her face immediately when she sensed the presence of someone else.

Before he even got the chance to react after her change in thoughts, Rosalie snarled and leapt on top of Edward who was perched not far from Bella's shed.

"What. The. FUCK. Are you doing here?" She hissed.

"Just smelling the fresh air, same as you," he replied calmly.

"Bullshit," she said. Words couldn't describe how much she wanted to wipe that superior smirk off his face with her fists. Or better yet, the heel of her shoe.

"That's a bit over the top, isn't it?" Edward rolled his eyes at the thoughts he picked up.

Anyone else would cower before the venomous look on Rosalie's face, but from the very beginning Edward had always disregarded her temper and quietly ignored her. It grated on Rosalie more than anything at first...she was not one to be ignored, after all. She may not posses telepathy but she was good at reading people too. Edward had always thought of her as vain, spoiled, and inconsequential. She _was_ all of those things on the surface-she had never bothered to hide it. But she was also so much more. It had not taken long for Esme to see it and the two of them forged a powerful friendship. Alice and Jasper too became close friends, as close to real siblings as Rosalie could ever hope. And as for Emmett and Bella...they didn't just see Rosalie's essence...they _dove_ right into it and grabbed onto her heart so suddenly, so unexpectedly that she still reeled from the intensity of it all.

But Edward had never bothered to look beyond what he could easily see.

She gritted her teeth. "I'll ask you one more time, Edward. _What_ are you doing here?"

Edward's eyes bore into hers. He had yet to move from his spot. "What are _you_ doing, Rosalie?"

He didn't give her a chance to answer. "How long can you keep this up? Hmm? One night with her, one night with Emmett. How long before one of them starts to want more? Or worse, when you want one more than the other?"

Rosalie shook with agitation. "You don't understand," she whispered. "You've never understood."

"Yeah, yeah," he drawled. "I've never had a mate. I don't know what it's like...I've heard this all before. I'm no fool either, Rosalie. There are right things, and there are wrong things. And what you're doing...to yourself, to your husband, and to her is all wrong."

Rosalie seethed quietly. There was no point arguing with Edward. He listened to people's minds all day but he never listened to them speak. Especially Rosalie.

Edward frowned. "I listen, Rose. More than you ever have. And I watch too. Your _girlfriend_," he spat out the word, "is a ticking time bomb, or have you been too busy defiling each other to see it? She's got more control than before, I'll give her that. But have you looked at her, really looked at her lately? Especially after using her gifts with Carlisle? I don't think she's the saint she's led you all to believe. She's going to lose it. Somehow, sometime soon...she's going to lose it and draw the attention of the Volturi. Then what will you tell them, hmm? That your _human_ trick on the side who happens to know all about Vampires and is capable of wiping us all out had a minor accident?! You think they'll forgive that?"

Rosalie was on top of him before he knew it. He hissed as her fist connected with his face, creating spider cracks all over his left cheek. Whatever restraint he normally felt about hitting a woman disappeared in his roar of anger. He swung at Rosalie's stomach but she dodged just in time and twisted his arm behind him. He growled in pain and rage but she did not let go. Instead she grunted and shoved him face first into the nearest tree. She managed to find his other arm and brought that behind him as well.

"You little fucker," she whispered. She twisted his hands even more behind him, just itching to pluck his fingers off one by one. "Is that what you were doing this summer? Took your sweet ass time getting back from Denali. Did you go to the Volturi?"

Edward struggled but Rosalie didn't budge. He laughed weakly. "If I did, don't you think they'd be here by now?"

"I _don't_ believe you," she hissed. "What the hell has you so invested anyway? You don't want to be part of this, so leave. You're outnumbered. Heavily. And the more you bitch and moan, the more all of us can't stand you. She's my mate whether you like it or not! _Why_ are you still fighting it?"

Edward shook with fury and something else. He managed to turn his head so Rosalie could see his eyes as he spoke, his voice getting louder with each word. "_She's not. Your. Mate!_"

With a roar he twisted free of her grip and landed a kick on her stomach. Rosalie snarled and lunged, bringing him down with her. Pitch black eyes met one another as they fought uncontrollably on the forest floor. Neither maintained the upper hand for long before the other skillfully escaped their grasp. Rosalie happened to be lying beneath him for a moment when she saw a hint of a smile on his face. Why, or what he was gleaning from her mind she did not know, but that smile carried such an ominous, poisonous taste that she felt it in her throat.

"Have you told her about the others?" He whispered. "How many affairs does that make?"

Rosalie never got the chance to retaliate, luckily for Edward, because the last ounce of control she possessed was gone and the next thing she would've done...the _only_ thing she _could've_ done next was separate his head from his body.

Alice and Jasper appeared like a freight train, knocking Edward off of her. Jasper quickly had him pinned while Alice tended to Rosalie, who was still deep in predator mode.

"Rosalie...Rosalie?...Come on Rosalie, come back."

Alice's soft voice slowly brought her back while Jasper hit her with wave after wave of calm.

It took several minutes for her and Edward to calm down and stand up again on their own.

"Have you both lost your minds?" Alice screeched. "What the hell are you going for, Edward? And you!" She rounded on Rosalie. "You were about to kill him!"

"He was asking for it," Rosalie mumbled and glared at him.

"I don't doubt that," Alice rolled her eyes. "But we do not solve our problems by killing each other! I can't believe I have to actually say this to you."

Rosalie glared at Edward again and showed her teeth. "Excuse me," she said to Alice and Jasper, nodded a thank you for their interference, and stormed away.

Alice turned to her former favorite brother. "Keep this up and you _will_ get your death wish eventually. I know what you want to do. It's not going to work. Your morals be damned, Edward...Rosalie _is_ Bella's mate. Rosalie _does_ love the two of them the same way Jasper and I love each other."

"And your feelings aren't what you think they are," Jasper added. "She intrigues you, surprises you, makes you work harder to get to know her because you can't read her. But you don't love her...not in the way that counts."

Edward stood silently before them. They could see that he understood what they said. It was loud and clear in his eyes that the battle he wanted to fight was already lost.

Without another word he disappeared in the opposite direction from Rosalie's flight. Alice and Jasper sighed in relief and looked at one another.

"I think..." Alice bit her lip. "I think we should stay here tonight. In case he comes back."

She didn't need to elaborate. If Alice said he might come back, then Edward was definitely coming back. They would both hunker down here tonight to watch over their favorite human, who was sleeping peacefully in her shed completely unaware of what had transpired less than half a mile from where she lay.

* * *

**Author's Note: Sorry this is a tad late. Every time I told my brain to plan out the events of this chapter it would stick out its tongue at me and jump ahead to future events. Stupid brain.**

**Please review! Say hello, ask a question, whatever you'd like. I reply to ALL reviews! **


	49. Speak

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight**

* * *

Emmett sighed and adjusted his position on the bed. He wasn't uncomfortable of course-it was impossible for a vampire to feel physically uncomfortable-but he had been sitting like this with Bella for over an hour. Every time he shifted to leave, she subconsciously gripped his hand tighter in her own, unwilling to part with whatever comfort she was receiving from his touch.

He looked up towards the door just as Rosalie silently walked through it. When she reached his side, she gently kissed his temple before whispering softly in his ear, "Thank you."

* * *

**Earlier that day:**

"What is that awful smell?"

Alice crinkled her nose and looked to Jasper, who was unfortunately as clueless as she.

"I don't know darling," Jasper replied. His eyes watered a little from the pungent smell. "But if this is the reason you dragged me over here I might just have to serve you with divorce papers."

She rolled her eyes. The two of them were lounged on top of Charlie's house. They were drenched from the torrential downpour that had started and stopped a few minutes earlier, and to make things worse, they weren't even here to hang out with Bella.

"Why can't you influence your visions?" Jasper grumbled light-heartedly. "Make them take place at night? Preferably in a dry location..."

"Hush! It's starting!"

It was Jasper's turn to roll his eyes, but he had to admit he was pretty curious. The vision Alice had seen earlier today had made her giddy with hope and excitement. She wouldn't tell him what she saw but knowing it had something to do with Bella was enough to make him happy too. Bella's emotions have been all over the place the last couple of weeks...she could use something uplifting.

Down below, they watched Charlie walk up to Bella's door. Jasper observed him carefully, looking for signs of the hatred he had seen in the past. Charlie's emotions, like Bella's, were all over the map right now. He was apprehensive and excited. He appeared to both dread and look forward to whatever was about to happen. Did he still hate his daughter? Jasper believed he no longer harbored such acrimonious feelings for Bella...but the man did not love her, yet. And he most certainly did not forgive her. That was, unfortunately, easy to ascertain. Jasper occasionally still checked on Charlie on his own, and though he had not needed to use his gift for some time, Jasper knew it would be a long time before Charlie could look at Bella without flinching. He may never get there, he thought sadly.

"Good morning, Charlie," they heard Bella greet him.

"Morning," Charlie answered awkwardly. "Uh, you got a second? I want you to take a look at something."

She was still on her guard. Good girl, he thought, though he knew she had nothing to fear from Charlie today.

Fidgeting in place, she finally nodded after giving Charlie a long, searching look.

The two of them walked to the front of the house. Jasper noted how tense Bella was.

"Are you still having trouble seeing her?" He asked Alice.

"Yes," she replied quietly. "It's been a lot harder the last couple of weeks actually. It only seems to work when she's completely calm and unguarded. Which means..."

"Which means something is really bothering her," he finished. He wished Bella would give them a clue. He was starting to think Carlisle and Esme's approach was not proper here-they too had noticed Bella's odd behavior, but they were treating her like they treated each of them...like the adult vampires they were. But Bella was neither vampire nor adult. Jasper had no idea if talking about her problems would help but it had to be better than the turmoil staying silent was causing her.

Below, Charlie led Bella to the driveway where an ancient, hideous, red truck stood parked by his police cruiser.

"Um," Charlie shuffled his feet. Good grief, that man was awkward as they come. "This is for you."

Bella stared at the truck in confusion. "You're giving me a car?" She sounded pretty shocked.

"Well, you're old enough." Charlie said quietly. "Weather can get real rough here in the winter. It's not safe for you to be biking around when the snow hits. This used to belong to a friend of mine in La Push. His boy's your age-well, maybe a little younger, but he's a wiz with cars and he fixed this up real nicely for you." Charlie was rambling now. "I know it looks ancient but the engine's what matters and it's good as new."

Bella continued to stare. Despite his revulsion with the truck, Jasper smiled when Bella's emotions reached him. She was stunned, hopeful, relieved and so, so happy. His vampire eyes could see that she was struggling not to cry, but a tear slipped down her face anyway. Charlie looked like he wanted to hide behind a tree but Jasper still saw a hint of a smile on his face. And he felt it-a small, very, very small twinge of affection in his heart.

"Merry Christmas, Bella."

"Thank you," she whispered.

Charlie handed her the keys. "When you get back from your trip, I'll get you a permit and start teaching you how to drive. Unless...of course if you'd rather ask Carlisle..."

"No!" Bella said quickly. "No, you can do it."

He nodded. "Well, I'll be off. Bye, Bella."

"Bye." She was still staring at her truck when he left. Slowly she walked around, inspecting it before she opened the creaky door and went inside.

"No wonder it stinks," Alice whispered. "It's from La Push."

"You think that boy is one of them?" Jasper asked. This was a surprising development. He and Alice had never encountered the wolves here but the others had. He knew La Push was their territory. Now that he had more information, it was clear whatt the stench emanating from the truck was.

"It's a possibility." Then Alice grinned. "Which do you think will infuriate Rosalie more? The smell or the truck itself?"

Jasper chuckled. "Don't spoil it for me," he replied.

* * *

"Bella!"

Bella was still sitting inside the truck-_her truck_-when Rosalie and Emmett appeared through the windshield. She looked up just in time to see Rosalie's face change from panic to confusion to revulsion.

"Hi," she greeted them. She was still up in the clouds somewhere because of Charlie's gift. This is big, she thought. He wouldn't do this if he didn't care about her. Right? "Why are you looking at me like that? What's wrong?"

Rosalie was indeed staring at her, but more so at the truck with the strangest expression on her face.

"Bella," Rosalie came to her senses and spoke slowly. "What the hell is that thing?"

"It's from Charlie," Bella grinned. "It's for me!"

The blonde closed her mouth.

Emmett stepped forward, eyeing the truck. "Crap Bells, how can you stand the smell?"

"What smell?" Bella was confused now, and a tad irritated. "Hey don't mock it just because it's old. It's perfect."

Rosalie opened her mouth. Then she closed it again.

"Do you mind if we take the Jeep?" She finally said. "It's already packed."

"Ok," Bella smiled and got out of the truck, carefully closing and locking the doors.

Emmett chuckled. "Looks like Bella Bear's found the second love of her life."

Bella only grinned back, though she thought she spied Rosalie rolling her eyes and glaring at her truck from the corner of her eyes.

"Let's go," Rosalie grumbled, much to Emmett's amusement.

* * *

The beach at Shipwreck Point was a beautiful place. The whole area was wild and feral, but the beach especially had a fierceness about it that made it all the more beautiful. Just like Rosalie, Bella thought and she smiled as she pictured the blonde walking on that beach. Beautiful.

It wasn't a private beach but it may as well be; nobody but them was crazy enough to vacation out here this time of year. There were a few stragglers here and there when they arrived though so they would all have to be mindful. Bella was knocked out of her thoughts when Emmett suddenly hoisted her off her feet and up from the path to their cabin.

"Emmett!"

"You're going too slowly, Bella Bear!" He laughed. "I wanna start this vacation already."

She glared but let him manhandle her inside. Behind them, Rosalie smiled softly and brought in their bags.

Inside, this cabin looked to be the same size as the one she and Rosalie had shared in the Yukon, but whereas that one had a breezy open layout, this place was warm and cozy and sectioned off. Almost as soon as they stepped inside though, Bella thought of something.

"Um," she started weakly. "How is this going to work?"

She was, of course, referring to the lone bedroom.

"Well, since you're the only one of us who sleeps, you get the bed," Rosalie stated calmly.

"Unless you find yourself emotionally attached to the roof of course," Emmett grinned. "We won't stop you."

Bella knew he was joking, but the idea warmed her up anyway. It would be wonderful to sleep outside in a place like this with the sounds of the waves crashing in the background.

Rosalie gave her a look. "Good grief, Bells. You are not sleeping outside."

Bella stuck out her tongue and took her small bag into the bedroom.

"Swimming in 10 minutes!" Emmett shouted through the walls. "Clothing is optiona-ow!"

She grinned as she closed the door behind her. As soon as the door shut and separated her from Rosalie and Emmett, the smile left her face.

There was fire everywhere. Every object in her sights was a potential fire starter. Every vista her eyes could see held blaze after blaze of red and orange. And worst of all, every person, every breathing moving thing was both alive and dead. She would be speaking to Charlie or Esme or one of her teachers and suddenly all she would see was charred flesh. No one was immune from her sadistic imagination. Not even Rosalie.

Bella felt lost. She didn't know what to do. Whenever those images invaded her mind during the last few weeks she'd silently scream for them to stop, and they would. But they came back again and again. She knew how to fight. If there was something evil there she could hold it off...she knew she could. But there was nobody there this time. There was no monster. There was no evil for her to overcome. There was only her. Bella was completely alone.

Directly in front of her, flames licked up the wall. Bella whimpered. In seconds the blaze rose up to the ceiling and spread to the other walls.

_Stop. Stop! STOP!_

It stopped.

_Knock, knock._

"Bella," Rosalie called to her softly behind the door. "You ok?"

The walls around her were still the pristine white they had always been. In her mind, her own walls immediately came up.

"Yeah!" She said in a light-hearted tone. "Just having a panic attack looking at this bathing suit you got me."

"You'll be beautiful in it," Rosalie replied with a smile. "I promise. Alice already saw it."

* * *

Rosalie watched Emmett and Bella play fighting in the water. She sat in her chair, wanting to soak up as much of the sun's rays, weak as they were, before she joined her lovers. At the moment Bella was standing on top of one of his outstretched arm trying to keep her balance...rather hard to do when Emmett kept waving his arms up and down. Rosalie smiled when Bella, having fallen headfirst into the water, sputtered and tried to tackle Emmett.

The two of them were so oddly in sync with each other. Rosalie knew that it was this more than anything else that would give their relationship its fighting chance. Mates or not, a relationship can flourish or disintegrate just as easily as with humans. Emmett chose to believe that all mates were successful because there was no other way. Rosalie wasn't so sure. Before having both Bella and Emmett in her life, Rosalie was sure she'd happily trade her existence for humanity...even if it meant never finding true love. Her hatred for herself, her love for humanity at times felt stronger than her love for her mate. Bella's appearance in her life, for whatever reason, forced her to rethink her outlook and it has indeed changed considerably. But there were still moments...There were still moments when the ache to hold her own child and to grow old with someone overwhelmed even the overwhelming feelings she had for Bella and Emmett.

That was why Rosalie refused to take her relationship with Bella for granted. She knew, perhaps more than anyone in her family, that there were forces in this world stronger even than the bond between mates. That was why she despised Edward's attitude so much-the bond between herself and Bella, but more importantly between all three of them would always require hard work. It would always be subject to scorn and derision by people like him who have never asked themselves to look at the world with new eyes.

It hurt that Bella wouldn't talk to her. But she understood and tried not to dwell on it. Rosalie couldn't be everything to Bella-just as Emmett couldn't be everything to Rosalie. Come to think of it, there were things that Bella and Emmett shared that she herself did not understand. She had been patient and followed Carlisle and Esme's advice to let Bella speak up when she felt ready. But enough was enough. Bella was suffering. She hid it so well that Rosalie was embarrassed and angry with herself for not seeing it sooner, but between Jasper's gift, Alice's inability to see her except for the rarest of times, and her and Emmett's observations, she knew without a doubt that something was causing Bella distress. Rosalie had made several subtle inquiries over the last few weeks but Bella wouldn't budge.

"Come on, Rose!" Bella shouted happily from the water. She was levitating an ecstatic Emmett from deep below the water in order for him to perform some rather dolphinesque moves before splashing down.

Rosalie smiled and shook her head. Bella wasn't faking her joy right now. _Good job, Emmett._

* * *

"Oh, Bells," Emmett laughed. "You know there's plenty of chairs inside."

Bella smiled and scooted over as Emmett made to join her. She didn't know what it was about heights that comforted her so much...maybe because she's fallen so many times and gotten back up when others would've stayed down. This wasn't even that high a perch...She was only one story above ground, but the sight of the waves crashing on the beach from up here brought her a sense of peace few things could imitate. Watching Rosalie in the sunlight was the only other thing that came close.

Emmett seemed to acknowledge her need for quiet. The two of them sat together without speaking for several minutes. Bella heard the shower start below them. The sun and long showers, she thought with a smile...two of the many puzzle pieces needed to appreciate their Rosalie.

"You know," Emmett cleared his throat. "Rosalie's not the only one who loves you."

Bella turned to him, confusion written on her face. "Huh?"

"All of us care about you, Bells," he continued. "Especially me. You're part of our family. And you're my best friend."

"I know, Em...where are you going with this?"

He sighed and drew closer. "Something is bothering you," he said quietly. Bella started to feel panicky. "There...just now your heartbeat sped up, so don't bother denying it. We've all noticed it."

Bella looked away and tried to slow her racing heart. "It's nothing, Emmett..."

"It's not nothing!" He said indignantly. "Bella, please talk to me. Of all people, don't you think I'd understand? We share so much...You know you don't have to hide anything with me."

How could she explain? How could she explain that the Emmett speaking to her was turning to ashes right before her eyes? How could she explain that despite the beauty of their serene surroundings, part of her wanted to envelop it all in soothing flames?

"Em...," she whispered.

"No," he said firmly. "You need to talk to someone and I'm here. I'm willing to hear and I want to help. Start talking."

Bella closed her eyes. What would happen when she revealed everything? Would they fear her? Decide she was too unstable to be around humans? Around them? Even as she ran through scenario after unthinkable scenario in her mind, she felt Emmett's hand come down gently on hers. She squeezed, hard, and started to speak.

* * *

Emmett sighed and adjusted himself on the bed. He wasn't uncomfortable of course-it was impossible for a vampire to feel physically uncomfortable-but he had been sitting like this with Bella for over an hour. Every time he shifted to leave, she subconsciously gripped his hand tighter in her own, unwilling to part with whatever comfort she was receiving from his touch.

He looked up towards the door just as Rosalie silently walked through it. When she reached his side, she gently kissed his temple before whispering softly in his ear, "Thank you."

He held out his free arm. Rosalie slid into his embrace with a practiced and natural ease.

"What are we going to do?" He whispered quietly.

"You mean after I kill Carlisle?" She growled. Their father meant well but that would not be enough to stem the talking-to she planned to give him.

Emmett smiled sadly, and Rosalie refrained from saying more for a little while. She breathed in his scent which, when mingled with Bella's was even more enticing, and watched him gently caress Bella's hand.

"I can't believe she thought we'd think she was too dangerous for us."

Rosalie was silent. She was thinking back to her encounter with Edward and all the times since during which they both wanted to kill each other.

"Edward knew," she hissed. "I don't know how but he's known all this time. I'm gonna fucking kill him."

"We need to help Bella, love," he turned to her. "That comes first."

"I know," she sighed. "We'll figure something out." Silence for minute, then, "You think you can let go now?"

Carefully, Emmett untangled his hand from Bella's and moved away. She didn't move.

"You were amazing today," Rosalie whispered and leaned in to kiss him deeply. "You deserve a reward." She kissed him again. "Follow me."

Emmett grinned and did just that.

* * *

**Author's note: I wish I could live inside these stories. Any story. Real life is utterly exhausting while writing this is magnificently exhilarating. Please review if you get a chance. **


	50. See

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. **

**Author's note: Soundtrack for this chapter is "Inanna" by Armand Amar. You can find it on youtube under profile ExtraBSO. **

* * *

Before even opening her eyes, Bella sensed it was still night. Their little cabin was surprisingly well insulated because even though she knew it was freezing outside, here under the thick covers she was uncomfortably warm. Why didn't she remember getting into bed? Oh...

Emmett. He had coaxed her into talking. She had talked...and talked and talked. Once the first words were spoken everything that she had kept buried had tumbled out until she was too tired to say another word. What was going to happen now? She had been so ashamed of herself, so afraid to let another person see the darkness within her that even now, having already spilled her secrets to someone, she was feeling more than queasy.

But Emmett did not back away from her. He listened quietly and when the tears started, held her until she stopped shaking. She should've known, really. Of all her friends, Emmett was the most trustful and the most innocent. He believed her when she said she didn't really want to hurt anyone...even though she wasn't sure if she could believe it herself.

Too many thoughts. Her brain felt too crowded, as if all her thoughts were suddenly in motion when she just needed to be still. She kicked the covers off of her and padded over to the window, through which the moon shone brilliantly in the sky. Focus on that, she told herself. There's so much beauty out here...and _you don't_ want to burn it. _You don't, you don't, you don't_, she firmly admonished herself. She stood there looking and unseeing for so long as she slowly cleared her mind that she almost missed it. In fact, her eyes had probably raked over them several times in the last few minutes without her realizing it...

It was Rosalie. And Emmett. They were far, close to the water and partly obscured by a big dune but their figures were unmistakable. And while Bella was too far away to see any details, the movement of their bodies was too obvious, too deliberate to be anything other than what it was. They were making love.

Bella's heart beat like a drum in her chest as she watched, mesmerized, unable to avert her eyes. They were moving so slowly...Emmett was sitting up and leaning back comfortably on something she couldn't make out...and Rosalie was on top of him, facing him. Her arms and legs were wrapped tightly around him...

Bella was still breathing. Her body was frozen, but her breathing did not falter. Her mind, empty and calm after forcibly clearing it of the terrible, fiery thoughts from before, remained still and motionless as she watched. She stood there for what felt like an eternity...and still Rosalie kept moving.

She'd read enough to know what she was supposed to feel. Watching your lover have sex with someone else was supposed to incite anger and jealousy inside her. She was supposed to be hurt and devastated. Polyamorous relationships like theirs did not necessarily mean the people partaking in them were privy to such intimate knowledge and displays. So even they, though fully aware and accepting of additional relationships, would understandably be affected by a sight like the one playing out on the beach...especially if it was the first time. Bella's mind scrambled through book after book and her limited human experience, looking for something, anything to give her guidance and a clue to her own emotions. She wished Jasper were here to explain her feelings.

Maybe if the distance between them wasn't so great and she could see more...maybe if the cool breeze caressing her face wasn't so soothing...maybe if the moonlight reflecting off of Rosalie's skin wasn't so heart-stoppingly beautiful. Maybe, in a different setting under different circumstances she might feel the things she was supposed to feel. But right now all she could think of was how beautiful Rosalie looked. And all she could feel was love for her.

Rosalie was looking at Emmett now. Their foreheads touched and although Bella couldn't see her facial expression, she imagined the tender looks she and Rosalie always gave one another when they made love like this. She imagined Emmett looking at her the same way...him pouring out his love for her through his eyes the way Bella tried to do the same for her. And strangely enough, the emotion she felt next was happiness...happiness that Rosalie got to be so loved. Rosalie was an angel, and she deserved this love and more...

With a start Bella realized her usual tight rein on her power was loose and unrestrained. Yet nothing burned. She double checked to be sure and finally took her eyes off of the couple to do so. Nothing was amiss. There was no terrible crackling of flames or red in the night; only the sounds of the ocean and the breeze...and in the distance, the swaying bodies of the love of her life and the man who loved her.

* * *

The next morning, Bella gradually awoke from the racket the birds were making. She thought she closed the window...

"I know you're awake."

Bella opened her eyes and found Rosalie sitting on the bed next to her.

"Hi..." She mumbled and sat up a little.

Rosalie said nothing, but she did lean in and kiss her tenderly on the cheek. "I made you breakfast," she said softly. "Don't give me that look. It's fine. Perfectly edible."

Bella bit her tongue and took the plate of god-knows-what from her. It looked like a hybrid of sausages and mashed potatoes...in some kind of soup.

_I will eat it because I love her. I will eat it because I love her._

She picked at it and wolfed down a few bites in silence. All the while, Rosalie watched from beside her with an unreadable expression. When Bella had enough that she could set her plate aside without offending her, she did so and shyly asked, "Where's Emmett?"

Rosalie gave her a long look before she finally answered. "He went hunting. He...thought it would be best for us to talk alone about last night."

Bella must have blushed bright scarlet. "Uh, it's ok...we don't have to-"

"I'm referring to the conversation you had with him, Bella," she interrupted her gently. "Not about what you saw. _That_ will be the next order of business...though we can start with that if you prefer."

Fuck. "Um, sorry about that."

"There's no need to feel sorry, Bella," Rosalie held her hand as she spoke. "Something like this was bound to happen eventually to one of you. Though I am surprised...and impressed that nothing blew up as a result."

"Yeah..." Bella really didn't want to talk about this. It was embarrassing enough that she saw what she did and worse, that she didn't immediately shut her eyes and turn away like any normal person would. "I wasn't upset by it," she said quietly as she squeezed the hand that fit so nicely in hers. "Honestly, I expected to be but I wasn't."

Rosalie took her plate and set it on the nightstand. She opened her arms and Bella automatically found her place inside them. "What _did_ you feel?" The older girl asked.

Did she have a better grasp of what went on inside her than she did last night? Bella thought for a few moments. It was hard because unlike the Vampires, she did not have decades of living to draw from. Emmett and Rosalie had a decided advantage over her in this case.

"Emmett said something to me when he found me in Colorado...when he brought me back to you," she started. Beside her, Rosalie looked up, surprised at where Bella was taking the conversation. "He said that you do crazy things for your mate. He said that when you fell for me, it was like your heart got bigger to accommodate your love for the two of us." She could see Rosalie's lips twitch upward. She turned a little inside her arms so they faced each other. "Watching you with him last night...seeing the...physical proof of your love for him...it didn't feel like there wasn't room in your heart for me." She touched the spot on Rosalie's chest where her heart lay still. It may be dead in the literal sense, but Bella knew it was alive and full of Rosalie's spirit. "I know I'm in there. Last night, even though you were with him I never felt like I wasn't in there."

The way Rosalie was looking at her...Bella felt naked and invisible at the same time. Rosalie had a way of stripping her to the bone with nothing but her eyes. Because of her, Bella didn't care about the shed or the bullies or that Charlie would probably never really forgive her. Because of all the Cullens really, to be fair...But it was Rosalie's heart that had become her home, and during moments like this...when she looked at her like that...it was like being wrapped in a silk blanket in which every strand was Rosalie, Rosalie, Rosalie.

The kiss was so tender and soft she barely felt it. Rosalie hugged her tightly and continued to kiss her softly while Bella relaxed in her embrace.

* * *

"You're not off the hook yet, Bella," Rosalie said sternly. She felt a little guilty seeing how obviously uncomfortable the girl was but it couldn't be avoided. Rosalie was too relieved that Bella had finally spoken up _not_ to do this.

Bella sighed and tensed in Rosalie's arms. Not two hours had passed since breakfast. The two of them spent the morning lazing and lounging around, Rosalie mostly quiet as she mulled over Bella's words, and Bella grateful for sidestepping the _other_ issue...the one Rosalie was insisting on bringing up now.

"I love you, Bella," Rosalie said softly. "I love you more than I can possibly show. Why didn't you come to me?"

She could practically feel Bella's walls coming up. "Don't shut me out," she begged. "There's nothing you can say that will make me think less of you. I promise you that."

"Don't make promises you can't keep," Bella whispered, and Rosalie's heart broke when she heard the sad resignation in her voice.

"Bells-"

"I'm not a good person, Rose," Bella interrupted. _She's not the saint she's led you all to believe_. That was what Edward had said to her, and Rosalie curled her lip back at the memory of that conversation, grateful Bella couldn't see her face.

"Are you planning to elaborate?" She asked.

Bella squeezed the arms around her and looked out to the sea. They were sitting in the sand only a few feet away from the water's edge. Jagged rocks littered this section of the beach which meant there were unlikely to be any other people out here. Rosalie took advantage of the pause in their talk to pepper the back of her neck with soft kisses and to hug her as closely as she could without hurting her. The way they were sitting...Rosalie practically a chair for Bella...made Rosalie almost salivate with want. Maybe she should've hunted too...

"You heard everything with Emmett, right?" Bella asked. She nodded. "It's not just that I have to constantly tell myself not to blow things up." She paused and took a deep breath. "I want to. _I want_ to do these horrible things. I want to set everything on fire. And...I think I want to watch Jessica and Lauren burn."

"Oh, Bella," Rosalie continued to kiss her hair. "Why do you think you've been struggling so much, hmm? If you were such a bad person, why on earth would this be driving you crazy? You'd just do it, and to hell with everything."

"Bella, all of us struggle with something like this. Most vampires think humans are just walking blood bags. That's what we're supposed to think. We're _surrounded_ by humans. Don't you think we're tempted too? Those bitches...every time I hear them making a derogatory remark about you-and I hear a lot better than you, sweetie-I want to crush their skulls."

"What stops you?" Bella asked.

Rosalie paused. "I remind myself that they're more than what I see," she said. "They're assholes, yes...but each of them is also someone's friend, someone's child, maybe someone's sister. They have hobbies and passions. Someday they might make a contribution to the world. Someday, they might be mothers. That usually quells my desire to behead them."

If only Rosalie's guilt had to do with wanting to murder people. But she couldn't tell Bella that her single biggest struggle was one she was experiencing right this very moment. Bella's neck was centimeters from her fangs. All she had to do with lean in a little more. One quick bite. That's all it would take. Then Bella would be hers forever.

_She's Bella. She's amazing. She's smart and creative and talented. She's going to make a contribution. She's someone's daughter. She...someday, she might be someone's mother._

Bella leaned further back and Rosalie had to quickly turn her head to the side to avoid grazing her flesh with her teeth. It was much harder than she'd like to admit.

Though only easier by a few degrees, Rosalie tore her eyes away from Bella's neck and turned to watch the waves in front of them. The tide was coming in and she could feel the spray of water hitting their feet. What sun they had was long gone, vanished somewhere behind the steely gray clouds.

Bella fell back so much that soon Rosalie was able to kiss her cheek, and she did so over and over again. "I believe in you," she whispered. "I will always bet on you."

She cradled her in her arms as they both lay back in the sand. The tears in Bella's eyes reminded her of the humanity that was both a blessing and a curse to Rosalie.

"I love you," Bella breathed into her neck. "I love you. I love you. I love you..."

And then Bella was kissing her. Wildly. Blindingly. Rosalie understood exactly where this was coming from. In her weakest moments when her memories called up the horrific end of her human life she would cling to Emmett just like this. It was the need to feel something other than the poisonous thoughts.

But there was something she needed to do before they gave in to what they both wanted.

"Bella," she murmured. "Wait...wait. Do you see the fire right now?"

She guessed right. Bella looked downcast, but nodded firmly.

"I want you to close your eyes," she continued. "Don't drive yourself crazy telling it to stop like you've been doing. Instead think of...think of your music. Think about flying with me. Picture us on our hammock in the sun..."

She waited, hopeful. _I believe in you, Bella. I believe in you._

Bella opened her eyes..

"What do you see?" She whispered.

The spark in her eyes told her everything she needed to know as it always had. The warmth of Bella's love went through her impenetrable skin and settled in her hollow chest.

"I see you."

* * *

**Author's note: I have almost as much fun picking out music as I do writing. I hope you liked "Innana" as well of course as this chapter. **

**These chapters take a good 6-8 hours to write, not to mention the endless time I spend mulling over everything in my head. Please take a minute to leave some feedback. Constructive criticism, inquisitive questions, and analyses are _highly_ appreciated! Until next time!**


	51. Esme

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight**

**Author's note: Wow, I sure pissed a bunch of you off last chapter. I was surprised to see that some of you are still hoping Rosalie will leave Emmett. This is the _one_ spoiler I don't mind sharing, mainly because I've said it repeatedly before. Rosalie is in love with Emmett. Rosalie is in love with Bella. That's not going to change. I get that this is radical but come on people...this is _tame_ when you look at some of the crazy Twilight fanfics out there. So chill.**

* * *

True to his word, Charlie started teaching Bella to drive as soon as she returned from the beach. Having a cop for a father had its benefits and Charlie managed to speed the process up for her when he saw how quickly she caught on. By the end of January (and with only a few minor scrapes to the already weathered truck) Bella had her intermediate driver's license. Wherever Bella was, the ancient truck was never far. Suffice it to say, Rosalie was less than pleased.

"It's not enough you're driving this hideous monstrosity," Rosalie huffed. "You're making me fix it too?"

Rosalie was bent over and half-hidden from the waist up. Her favorite coveralls were covered in grease as were parts of her face and hair. She glared at the clutch cycling pressure switch, the reason for her current state.

Bella chuckled from where she was lounged on the truck bed. "You're my girlfriend. And you're a mechanic. Isn't there some inherent rule that says you have to take care of my car?"

"I think that only applies to vehicles from, you know, _this century_," Rosalie replied.

"Tough," Bella retorted and stuck out her tongue. "Besides, we've been through this. You kick my truck, you fix it."

Rosalie glared at her half in annoyance and half in disbelief. Bella, the girl who, were it not for Alice dragging her to a store every once in awhile to get new clothes, would be content with her jeans and few t-shirts, had become absurdly attached to her truck. Rosalie would love nothing more than to pummel that thing to oblivion and get her a real car (one in which the clutch pressure cycle was made _after_ World War II)...but that was _very_ dangerous thinking. When Rosalie made the mistake of kicking the truck in frustration over its speed, Bella wouldn't talk to her for a whole day. If she hadn't immediately promised to fix it the girl might have actually blown up her favorite Mercedes in retaliation.

Rosalie went back to the mess beneath the hood and Bella went back to finishing her homework. A few minutes later, she heard Bella's phone vibrate. Judging by Bella's simultaneous excitement and caution, it was probably Charlie.

"Pizza again tonight," Bella whispered to herself with a smile. She jumped down and put her arms around Rosalie from behind.

"He's being so nice," she said quietly, voicing a constant worry of hers. "I'm afraid of getting used to it."

She took a towel and wiped off some of the grease from Rosalie's forehead as she spoke. Rosalie set her tools down and gently embraced the younger girl. All traces of irritation left her face as she took in the hope and insecurity in Bella's. She wanted to reassure her, but in all honesty her own suspicion and dislike for her father made that impossible.

"Well," she said as she played with a strand of Bella's hair. "All I know for sure is that you have a family right here. We love you no matter what."

She reached down and kissed her. Bella wrapped her arms around her waist and held her close. Her grip was tight, strong.

"What do you see?" She whispered through the kiss and Bella tensed in her embrace.

They paused but Rosalie stayed in place. Bella continued to grip her coveralls tightly and took a few deep breaths. Rosalie waited patiently. They've been through this so many times during the last month...

A few more long seconds and Bella opened her eyes. Bella looked at her lovingly and smiled softly. "I see you...kissing me awhile longer."

Rosalie smiled in relief and granted Bella's request. Bella stepped back so she was leaning on her truck and pulled Rosalie closer, who was only too happy to take a break from the devil machine in front of her. Kissing Bella had become something akin to a religious experience for her...and she took every opportunity to prove her faith. Bella's increasing arousal was pretty obvious for the vampire and she moaned in acquiescence when the girl's hands lowered and found the apex of her legs through her coveralls. One of the most surprising and pleasant outcomes from their trip to the beach with Bella was how much lower her inhibitions regarding Rosalie and Emmett had become. She wasn't yet comfortable going further than where they were now when they were in the Cullens' house...but a month ago Bella would never have permitted herself to get so frisky with Rosalie while the others were home. The sight of Rosalie and Emmett making love on the beach...and everyone's calm acceptance of the fact...was all the permission Bella needed to get past some of her inhibitions. Whatever the case, Rosalie certainly wasn't complaining.

"Not trying to cockblock you, Bells," Emmett shouted through the walls. "But you did promise to play this level with me!"

"Emmett!" Esme scolded.

Bella bit her lower lip and shyly glanced at Rosalie. "I did promise..."

Rosalie rolled her eyes. "I'll just keep working on your _other_ girlfriend here."

"Thanks, babe!" Bella grinned and ran out of the garage before Rosalie could throw something at her.

* * *

Days often passed as if they were hours for Vampires, and hours passed like minutes for Bella when she worked with Esme on one of her projects. Sketching room layouts did not soothe her as much as playing the piano but it was close. To create something instead of to destroy...it was a nice thing to think about. How many homes were gone because of her? How many cars and tents and trees? There was nothing she could do to bring those things back, let alone the lives that ended, but the symbolism made her feel a little better.

She prayed never to add to her list of debts.

The drawing before her was of a kitchen remodeling. New island, new materials, and a lot more sun. She paused to look more closely at the design she was trying for the backsplash. Red, orange, and yellow swirls wove up and down the wall. It looked almost alive. Strange...she remembered the client's request calling for blue.

Uh-oh.

"What do you see, Bella?" Esme asked from across the table. Bella looked up, making sure not to grimace at the flames covering the closest thing to a mother she had. Esme stared back, not unkindly, and gently raised an eyebrow indicating she understood. Bella closed her eyes and thought of trickling streams, floating on her back in the ocean, and the blue sky that surrounded her from every angle when she left the ground.

_I am not a monster._

She felt a hand on hers and looked up. Esme looked at her questioningly and Bella nodded back. Esme's beauty was unmarred once more and the flames had receded...for now.

"You're not a bad person, sweetheart."

Bella nodded again, slowly.

The older woman sighed and leaned back in her chair. "Bella...I've never told you how I died, have I?"

Bella's pencil stopped mid-track on the paper. She looked up and shook her head.

"Well, the 'how' is easy...I committed suicide," she said calmly.

That was...unexpected. Bella turned her head and stared, waiting to hear more. Or did she really want to?

"Most of my life was quite lovely actually," Esme reminisced. "I had a wonderful childhood. A wonderful family. I get on Emmett's case a lot with regard to his mischief but in truth, I was a lot like him as a girl." She smiled. "Worse, if you heard my mother complain."

Bella smiled too. She liked this picture of Esme...running around in a girl's dress with scraped knees, creating harmless havoc wherever she went.

"But then I married, and everything changed." Esme looked down but she couldn't hide the extent of her grief from Bella.

"Charles...right away I knew I was in trouble," she said. "The first time I cooked him a meal and he didn't like it, he smashed his plate...and my head against the wall. Drinking was the common problem for women like me back then, but Charles wasn't a drinker." She paused before continuing. "His cruelty...it was who he was."

Silence spread as she paused again. Bella was grateful that she didn't go into too much detail. She had read enough in her life to get a fairly descriptive picture of what Esme probably endured. And, though the ill-treatment of children from other children pales in comparison to abuse from someone who is supposed to love and protect you, Bella's shield against the world had enough cracks in it for her to understand.

"I ran when I found out I was pregnant," she said. "I had that much sense at least...enough to want to raise the baby in a better environment. It wasn't safe."

Bella clenched her fist so hard around her pencil she nearly pierced her skin with the pointy end. She hastily put it down in fear of drawing blood and watched it and the table in front of her turn to ash in her mind. A memory rushed to the forefront of her mind and she honestly couldn't tell what was worse, it or the flames that were overwhelming the room.

_Water, sky, Rosalie..._

"But fate was unkind to me," Esme said, sadly. "The boy died two days after his birth. It destroyed me. That child was all I had left and for him to be taken like that...when I had held him only once in my arms before he fell ill...I couldn't..."

Esme looked down. "When I left the hospital I went straight to this park I'd visited a few times. It was a beautiful, gentle place...except for the cliff. They probably have that fenced off now but they didn't back then. I was so scared. And sad. I had given up...and then...I jumped."

When Bella felt it was safe she finally looked up. Esme couldn't cry of course, but if one overlooked the lack of tears one would be hard pressed to confirm that.

"There was no chance of survival. They took me straight to the morgue-it was that bad. Carlisle was there and decided to turn me when he heard my heart still beating."

Bella waited, but Esme's story seemed to be at an end.

"Why," she cleared her throat. "Why are you telling me all of this?"

Esme snapped out of her memories and looked at her. "So you'd understand when I tell you that I've seen true evil, Bella. My first husband tortured me. Tortured me...and he loved every minute of it. He took pleasure in my pain...all, all forms of it. He never apologized and he never shed a tear in regret. He never felt remorse or tried to right his wrongs. I've lived more than a 100 years, Bella. There's still much that I don't know but I do know this: You are good. You are strong. You are one of my children. And you _will_ beat this."

* * *

The sun was high in the sky yet no warmth reached the earth. Charlie was right about winter in Forks; no matter how much sun managed to get through the semi-permanent cloud bank here, winter here was rough and cold. Ice creeped over everything in town and most people chose to stay indoors despite the weekend. Bella was really hoping she wouldn't run into anyone she knew at Newton's.

The store, newly renovated after last summer's fire, was unfortunately the only place in town to get decent floor mats for her truck. That was why she was here. And the bright sun that filtered down to touch her was why she was alone.

"Well, well, we're honored to have you here," Mike drawled into her ear.

Bella grinded her teeth but didn't react otherwise. She did, however, move so she was in sight of the woman at the cash register. That was Mike's mother, according to her name tag, and her son would not dare say or do anything inappropriate while under her gaze...or so Bella hoped.

She wasn't trying to protect herself...she could handle him. No, she was trying to keep him from doing something stupid and pissing her off. She was trying to protect _him_.

"I hate to break it to you," he continued. "There's nothing you can do to pretty up that pile of junk of yours. It's a lost cause."

He grinned. She maintained the distance between them and kept trying to dig through the racks until she found the right mats. Bingo. Quickly, she slid to the front and paid for her things, then made to leave. Mike had other ideas though.

Don't burn his balls off, she chanted to herself. Don't do it! Inside the vestibule, Mike grabbed her arm and firmly pushed her against the wall. Bella, for the first time since she walked into the store, looked him in the eye and glared.

"You have three seconds before I let you crawl back inside," she whispered. "One. Two."

"Hey what's going on here?"

They both turned to look at the intruder. A young but built man was standing just inside the doors. He glanced from Mike to Bella, then rested a cold look at Mike.

"Get your hands off of her, buddy," he said, warningly.

Mike glared at the boy. For a few seconds he looked like he was debating whether or not to start something with him but the boy's large muscles appeared to have knocked some sense into him for the first time that day. He finally let go of Bella's arm but she surprised them all when she grabbed his other arm herself.

"Hang on, Mike," Bella said in a fake sweet voice. "Three."

And then she kneed him, _hard_, in the groin. Mike doubled over in pain, sputtering and cursing at her. Bella narrowed her eyes, stomped down hard on his foot and punched him in the face. All of them heard the bones in his nose break.

"Touch me again," she whispered. "And I'll put you on a stretcher."

Mike hobbled and, true to Bella's promise, crawled back inside.

She turned to leave.

"Holy shit!" The boy exclaimed, looking at her in wonder. "That was awesome! Scary as hell, but holy crap awesome!"

She raised her eyebrows and nodded her goodbye. He followed, still staring at her.

"Hey don't I get a thank you?" He grinned.

Bella gave him a funny look. "I believe I'm the one that bruised his manhood, not you."

"Yeah," he started and Belle grinned inwardly when she noticed him shuffling his feet and shielding his own manhood from her. "But thanks to my presence, there was a witness." He grinned again. "Now his shame is twofold!"

Bella snorted and shook her head. This kid was odd. She gave in and smiled a little, then heaved her purchases into the truck bed.

"Wait a sec," the boy looked at the truck in surprise. "You're Bella?"

She looked at him, surprised. This boy didn't go her school. She had never seen him before.

He smiled brightly, his widest grin yet. "I should've guessed," he chuckled. "I'm Jacob. Jacob Black."

* * *

**Dun, dun, dun.**


	52. Jacob

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

**Author's note I: I'm in shock...really I am in shock that _nobody_ picked up on the nugget I left you last chapter! It's a pretty good clue too, and it's about something that's come up before that many of you noticed. Utterly _shocked._**

**Author's note II: M fluffiness in the last scene. I gave myself a nosebleed.**

* * *

Jacob Black turned out to be the mechanical wonder boy, or so that's how he put it, who took apart and refurbished her truck. Bella stood, somewhat amused as the Indian boy proceeded to pop the hood and admire his own work.

"Beautiful," he said, eyeing the engine wistfully. "That was my first top to bottom refurbishment."

What was this truck like _before_ he got his hands on it? Bella shuddered to think of it. Rosalie might have banned it from the Cullens' garage entirely.

"You did a very good job," Bella genuinely praised him. "Thank you."

"Anything for the Chief's family," he said. He suddenly looked bashful. "Say...you hungry? I was planning on grabbing something at the diner before I headed home."

"Um." Bella paused, her natural inclination for solitude pushing forward and telling her to say no. Other than the Cullens and Charlie, people who were this nice to her either had not-so-nice ulterior motives or ended up getting killed when she forgot her rules and reciprocated.

Declining would be the smart thing to do. But Jacob looked so hopeful and so _friendly_...and Bella had so few friends...that she found herself suddenly eager to get to know this boy who had rebuilt her beloved truck.

"I could eat," she replied with caution.

"Awesome!"

Before she knew it they were seated in the only diner in town, ordering food and making small talk.

"So how come you only just moved up here?" Jacob asked with a mouth full of fries. Bella politely looked down at her own plate so as not to stare.

"Well I was living with my aunt and she passed away," she answered.

"Must be weird living with a guy all of a sudden," he said. "Don't know how you're able to eat anything there...Charlie can't cook to save his own life."

"I get by," Bella smiled, thinking of Esme's cooking. She ate a few more bites as Jacob wolfed down the rest of his fries. How did Jacob know her father couldn't cook? It struck her then that this boy probably knew more of Charlie than she did. Her face must have betrayed how she felt because Jacob suddenly gave her a funny look.

"You ok?"

"Mmm," she put on what she hoped passed as a genuine smile. "How...how long have you known Charlie?"

"Gosh, forever," he looked amused. "Well, no...I guess since he moved back here. Like what, eight years ago? Yeah that's it. Him and my old man were buddies for a long time before that. Used to go fishing all the time together. I used to tag along before dad got sick."

So Jacob has known him for as long as Bella didn't. She wasn't sure how to interpret her feelings about that. Fire licked its way up his arms. Bella immediately stamped it down.

"Actually," he grinned. "I think I remember you!"

"Me?" She asked, perplexed. "I was 3 when we moved! How old are you?"

"15," he said evenly and crossed his arms.

"15," she repeated blankly, looking at his broad shoulders. "What do they feed you at home?" She mumbled.

"Bears, mountain lions," he said with a straight face. "But my favorite...little children...dipped in...chocolate pudding...and ICE CREAM!"

Bella stared at him, hiding a grin. "Well I don't have access to bears or lions. But this should help add a few ounces to your biceps."

She tossed him her pudding cup.

"Aww thanks!" Jacob opened it and finished the cup in about two gulps.

Bella chuckled and shook her head. Over the next few minutes they both finished their meals (Jacob finished at least two more) before resuming their conversation.

"How come you don't go to Forks high?" She asked him.

"I go to a more exclusive institution," he said with a smug grin. "Not just anybody can get into the reservation schools. Certainly not your pale tush!"

"Making assumptions, aren't you?"

"Well..." His eyes flicked over her chest clandestinely. It wasn't lost on Bella.

Oh good grief, she thought. Better nip that idea in the bud.

"My pale tush is perfectly happy in Forks," she smiled slyly. "My girlfriend keeps it pretty warm."

Jacob's own smile faltered slightly. "G-girlfriend?"

Bella nodded. Though she wore her smile with what she hoped was full confidence, inside she was nervous. She had never discussed her relationship with anyone outside the Cullen family. It's not like she had any other friends with whom she could gab and gush. Jacob was the first non-vampire Bella felt she could actually talk to and the feeling was...nice.

"Like..._girlfriend_, girlfriend?"

She nodded again. Bella hoped her instincts about Jacob were correct.

"Hot!"

Bella barked out a laugh. She was right...Jacob was just like Emmett.

* * *

"Hey!" Bella yelled as she walked through the Cullens' door. Thanks to Jacob, she had the best afternoon (as good as it can get without her surrogate family anyway) she's had in a very long time. After Jacob got over the initial shock and twinge of disappointment that Bella was taken, he spent an hour grilling her on everything from how she and Rosalie met to, embarrassingly enough, what the sex was like. She could've gotten offended and huffed off indignantly but if she were honest with herself she enjoyed the conversation. It felt good to talk about Rosalie to someone impartial. And while Jacob's willingness to listen probably had a lot to do with his hormones, he did listen. By the time they parted Bella felt at ease enough to promise to meet up again soon and exchange phone numbers. She was even comfortable enough to give him a lift home to La Push.

"Hey Bells!" Emmett shouted as strolled over to greet her. "Missed you toda-oh shit."

The words were no sooner out of his mouth when the rest of the family suddenly appeared in the foyer.

Edward hissed. Rosalie's eyes were much darker than their usual hue. Alice and Jasper hung back but looked uneasy. Only Esme and Carlisle stepped forward calmly but they too, Bella could see, were apprehensive.

"What did you do?!" Rosalie asked venomously.

"What?" Bella asked, befuddled. "Nothing. What's the matter?"

"I think what she's trying to ask," Carlisle interjected, "is did you do anything interesting today? Meet any interesting people?"

Bella looked at him questioningly. "Er, yeah I guess."

She took a step forward. Rosalie flinched and backed away. Bella froze.

The hurt must have been quite evident on her face because Rosalie immediately looked very, very sorry. She rushed to the younger girl and cupped her face in her hands.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. Bella nodded though she noted how hard it appeared for Rosalie to maintain that neutral expression. Something was very wrong here.

"Can you please explain what's going on?" She asked. Bella's insecurities had leaped to the front seat of her mind and were feeding her countless terrible scenarios.

"It's...a vampire thing," Alice spoke up. The rest of the family, and Bella turned to stare at her. She continued on. "When a mate meets someone new or goes to a new location, the smell makes us...a little crazy."

Bella looked at her like she'd grown a second head. She quickly eyed the rest of the family and while their expressions remained unchanged, Bella knew them well enough to sense that something was...off.

"Ok..." she turned to Rosalie, who was going through so many facial expressions Bella could definitely believe she was becoming...crazy indeed. "I ran into the boy who put my truck together. He's a friend of Charlie's. We had lunch in town then I drove him home."

"And where exactly is his home?" Esme asked gently.

"La Push."

Silence. Rosalie exhaled, whatever battle she was fighting internally coming to an end.

"I'm gonna go take a shower," she said. "Why don't you join me, Bella."

Bella turned fifty shades of red. "What?" she stuttered. "Here?"

"Great idea!" Emmett exclaimed. Bella looked at him like he too had lost his mind. But the rest of the family were enthusiastically nodding their heads.

"Come on," Rosalie said briskly and practically dragged her upstairs.

* * *

"Nice save, Alice," Jasper whispered.

"This is just fantastic," Edward sneered. "Now she's gonna bring the wolves on our heads!"

"Calm down," Carlisle scolded his son. "That boy hasn't phased yet."

"You can tell?" Alice asked, curious.

"Yes," he sighed. "The smell would be much worse if he had."

"Great," Emmett sighed. "You're not gonna let us warn her are you?"

"We can't," Esme said regretfully. "The treaty is explicit in this regard. We cannot reveal the pack's existence to humans and they cannot reveal ours to anyone outside their pack."

"Screw the treaty!" Emmett nearly shouted, catching himself before he did so Bella wouldn't hear from upstairs. "She hangs out with a baby soon-to-be wolf man then she's in danger."

"She's in danger hanging out with us too," said Carlisle. "I'm sorry Emmett, but that treaty is what's allowing us to stay here without trouble. I won't have us go back on our word."

"She's going to figure it out eventually," Alice interrupted. They all turned to look at her. "No, I haven't seen it," she added. "But Bella's a smart girl. If she can figure out our secret she can certainly deduce theirs."

"And the problems just keep piling up," Edward mumbled. "A human who knows our existence, who has a power that, should the Volturi discover it, will get us all killed, and who now also might start a war with the local shape-shifters."

"Edward, shut up," Alice and Jasper grumbled simultaneously.

Esme tisked at her children.

"Any chance you can install a shower outside the front door?" Emmett asked Esme. It was in jest of course but part of him kind of meant it. That smell made his skin crawl.

"And explain it to Bella, how?" She asked. She ran into the kitchen and came back again a second later.

"Here," she tossed him, and her husband and children each a can of Febreze. "See if these will work on the truck. I'll go wash her clothes."

* * *

Jacob was literally rolling on the floor, laughing.

"And they just stood there, gaping at you?" He exclaimed. "After you basically told them they had tiny dicks and didn't know what to do with them?"

Bella laughed too. In retrospect the circumstances that led her to meet Rosalie were pretty bizarre but it was the truth.

"Wait, wait, how's a guy like a snowstorm again?" Jacob asked gleefully.

"You don't know when he's coming, how many inches you'll get, or how long he'll stay," Bella grinned proudly.

"That's priceless," Jacob wiped a tear from his eyes. "So she was the damsel in distress and you came to her rescue?"

Bella snorted. "You call her a 'damsel' to her face she'll probably punch you. I mean it. She's the one that made them run off with their tails between their legs, not me. She's kind of an expert in the death glare."

She recalled all of this fondly. She had no idea then how important that night would be for her. Everything, everything changed. Bella found a family, friendship, love, and a support system that had helped her and was still helping her get through her...issues.

Bella's emotion's must have shown clearly on her face because Jacob grew quiet as he watched her, then said, "you're really in love with her, huh?"

She smiled and nodded.

"Well who can blame you?" He grinned and ducked the light punch Bella threw his way. "Come on, she's hot!"

"What was I thinking, showing you her picture?" Bella mumbled, but secretly she grinned too. Rosalie was a goddess...no point denying that. "Just do me a favor and don't gawk at her if you ever meet her. Or you'll have me to answer to!"

"Yes ma'am," he replied, and she could tell he meant it.

He grew quiet again as he chewed on the last of his burgers. Bella was long finished with hers and she leaned back to admire this quiet, clean little beach she had no idea existed so close to home. Why didn't she, Rosalie and Emmett come here for their vacation? Probably because they'd never let her out of the shower if they had, she thought, rolling her eyes. It was comical at first, but now it was just irritating how they made her take a shower whenever she spent time with Jacob or in La Push. Rosalie's 'vampire thing' was showing no signs of ebbing.

"Can I ask you a personal question?" Jacob asked quietly.

"I'm not giving you details about my sex life," Bella narrowed her eyes.

"So you do have a sex life?" Jacob smiled slyly and Bella punched him again. "Seriously, it's not about that."

"What's up?"

"How come you didn't live with your dad all these years?"

Bella wished she had food left so she could pretend to chew on it as she thought of an answer. Instead she blurted out the first thing that popped into her mind.

"I was kind of a mess when Mom died," she said. "I couldn't deal with other people...and Charlie wasn't able to help me...so he thought it best we split up for a while."

"I don't blame him," she quickly added when she saw how unconvinced Jacob looked. "My aunt was really nice."

"Sorry, Bells," he apologized. "I know he's your dad and all, and he's always been good to me...but that was pretty stupid of him. You lost your mom for crying out loud. Then you had to go and lose your dad too."

Bella sighed. Take out the fire and things looked so simple. Put it back into the equation though...

"It really wasn't all that bad," she whispered.

"My mom died when I was 11," he said, looking down. "It was hard enough without Billy sending me away across the country. Sorry, but if that were me I'd have gone loco. I don't know how you managed."

In an effort to take the focus off of her and Charlie, she asked, "what happened with your mom? If..if you don't mind my asking..."

He shrugged. "Car accident. Pretty bad. Closed coffin and all."

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

He shrugged again. "Shit happens, I guess."

Her phone rang. It was Alice.

"Hi Alice," she responded. Her voice was neutral but she had a sinking feeling she knew what this conversation would be about.

"Bella! Hi! I miss you! Can you stop by the house when you leave? When are you leaving by the way?"

Bella sighed. Time to use the agreed-upon code. "Is this about the bunny rabbit?"

The bunny was Rosalie, or to be more specific, crazy, possessive Vampire Rosalie.

"Yup! She's getting kinda antsy."

"'Kinda antsy?' Jasper muttered nearby. "She punched a hole in the wall..."

"Can't Carlisle give her a tranquilizer or something?" Bella grinned.

Jacob was giving her the queerest looks. "My bunny misses me when I'm gone," she whispered to him. "Goes bat crap crazy actually."

Chuckles reverberated over the phone. Several of them.

"We did everything we could," said Alice. "She just misses her human. So...when are you coming home?"

She sighed. "An hour or so. I trust Emmett can keep her entertained for a while?"

"Oh he tried," Alice's grin was clear even over the phone. "She bit him."

* * *

Bella smiled, content and very happy as Rosalie continued to massage the shampoo into her scalp. The reason for her exponential rise in need for showers was ridiculous, Bella still thought, but she couldn't deny that she enjoyed the silver lining...a lot of showers with Rosalie. The shower stall in the shed was tiny compared to the one in Rosalie's bathroom, but there were added benefits to being here that Bella just wasn't ready to experience at the Cullens' house.

She turned around and wiped some suds off of Rosalie's nose before kissing her softly.

"I could get used to this," she whispered. She moved the loofah across Rosalie's back as she sprinkled lingering kisses on her collarbone. Bella's kisses became more heated but Rosalie continued to wash her hair, this time wringing out what was left of the conditioner.

"We're supposed to be getting clean," Rosalie said with smile. "Not dirty."

Bella smirked. She could play this game with her any day of the week, but it was more fun sometimes to dish things out quietly to Rosalie. So she said nothing and continued to lather and be lathered up by her girlfriend, enjoying the simple beauty of running their hands gently all over each others' bodies. This stall was so small but it made everything that much more...intimate.

She gently held her by the back of the neck and moved up to kiss her. Their lips connected for one tiny millisecond before Bella pulled back to add more lotion to her hands. Bella paid particular attention to soaping up Rosalie's breasts, especially the hard (and getting harder) protruding buds. After rinsing them off, Bella once again kissed her way down to each nipple...and once again pulled back after the briefest of connections with her tongue.

Bella thought she saw a tiny scowl on Rosalie's face. "Just making sure you're totally clean," Bella whispered, keeping her expression clear.

Outwardly, Rosalie calmly rinsed off her girlfriend. Inside, Bella knew, was a whole other story. Months of this had taught her exactly how to push Rosalie's buttons.

"Turn around," she said. "There's still some soap on your back."

Rosalie turned around and only then did Bella's face morph into a grin. _You're mine now._

There was no remaining soap on either of their bodies. Rosalie probably already knew this as well but just as Bella found it impossible to resist the vampire, so too did the vampire find it impossible to resist her human.

Bella, ever so gently, placed her hands on Rosalie's hips and pulled her girlfriend to her until her back was pressed securely against Bella's breasts. Bella kissed Rosalie's neck and shoulders lovingly, tenderly...and roughly thrust her hips forward.

Rosalie gasped. Bella still said nothing. She leaned her upper body against the tiles of the wall but kept one leg propped up on the wall across from her. Her hands guided Rosalie back to her former position...only this time with the way Bella stood, she was able to slowly and oh so sensually rub her mound directly on Rosalie's backside.

If Rosalie could breathe, Bella was sure she would've stopped by now. But even without the tell-tale human signs of arousal, Bella knew exactly what was happening to Rosalie's body. She twisted herself back and forth against Rosalie, gripping, watching, listening, as the blonde slowly gyrated her bottom against Bella.

"Are you as wet as I am?" Bella whispered in her ear. "Hmm?" She gently licked the back of her ear as she hugged her closer. Her arm extended around the blonde and felt in between her legs.

"You are..." Bella breathed. "My god, you are..."

Bella dipped her fingers through Rosalie's folds, smiling victoriously when she heard her moan. She twisted one of Rosalie's arms back, knowing it wouldn't hurt her, and guided it to her own center.

She moaned in bliss when Rosalie's fingers slid easily inside her. Bella immediately thrust her whole body down hard. Again. And again. And again. Before she knew it she had gotten lost in the moment...and that's when Rosalie struck back.

Rosalie abruptly pulled back and turned them around, pinning the younger girl against the glass door. She growled, loudly, and when Bella looked into her eyes she saw that they were dark with passion and something else.

"Rose?" Bella's worry eased when Rosalie kissed her gently on the lips. She was still in control. But she was also, Bella gulped, in a dangerous, rough kind of mood. Maybe Bella had hit her head earlier or something because she found herself getting more excited the more she glared back at Rosalie.

The only sound in the shed was the water still coming down on top of both of them. But gradually, Bella's heart and breathing grew louder and louder. Rosalie still hadn't moved. She still hadn't said a word. She still held Bella against the glass and her eyes _still_ bore deep into Bella's, unwavering and relentless in their intensity.

Bella knew she lost this little battle for dominance the second she saw Rosalie's eyes. She was no match against those eyes that could instantly produce a river between her legs. Oh well. To the victor belong the spoils.

She managed to untangle her hands from behind her back and cupped Rosalie's cheeks as she inched her head forward.

"You win," Bella whispered. Then in a louder, clearer voice she said, "now fuck me."

It's a good thing she had leaned in before she spoke because if she hadn't she would've certainly gotten a concussion with how hard Rosalie slammed her back against the wall. Her frailty was the last thing on her mind though.

Bella's eyes rolled into the back of her head, literally, and her body went rigid and limp at the same time as Rosalie pounded into her with what she had to assume was her entire fist. Her moans and groans echoed in the small stall and filled the rest of the shed. This was bordering on painful. It was bordering on highly dangerous. But it was also insane and sensual and sexual and Bella _loved_ it. She had never seen Rosalie like this, and as dangerous as she knew this was, she knew she was also massively turned on by it.

"Oh my god, Rose!" Bella screamed. "Yes, fuck yes!"

Bella wrapped her arms and legs around the blonde, letting the crazed vampire support her weight. She yanked Rosalie's hair back so she could see her face. Bella's sweat seemed to overpower the water still raining down on them...the heat emanating from her skin contributing more to the steam building up on the glass than the hot water.

She almost surprised herself when she came. The build up and climax happened nearly simultaneously. Rosalie didn't stop. If anything she moved faster. Again, she felt herself climb over the edge. Again, she screamed in pleasure and release as she bucked uncontrollably. Again, Rosalie continued. By the fourth time Bella's ardent grunts were flowing continuously out of her mouth because it felt like there were no beginnings or endings, no telling where Rosalie started and Bella finished. One more time, Bella felt it start deep within her, another big one.

"Rose," she groaned. "Rose, slow down."

Surprised that that was all it took, Bella sighed in relief when Rosalie complied and touched her gently. Bella still held her tightly, still wrapped herself around her, and she threw her head back and gave in completely to the things Rosalie was making her feel. The wince escaped her lips before she could stop it.

"Did I hurt you?" It was the first time Rosalie had spoken. "Oh god, I'm sorry. Are you ok?"

Bella smiled weakly, happily. "Believe me it's the good kind of hurt," she reassured her. She winked. "If you want to kiss it better I won't stop you though."

Rosalie looked at her, the guilt still clear on her face. "Please don't feel bad," Bella whispered and kissed her. "I enjoyed that. A lot, if you couldn't tell."

The blonde nodded slowly, kissed both of her palms, and gently moved down Bella's body until she fell to her knees. Bella sighed as she felt her mouth on her, and she used the rest of her strength to spread her legs as widely as she could and still be able to stand. As rough as Rosalie had been, that's how sweetly and gently she treated Bella now as her lips and tongue and breath brought her pleasure. Rosalie captured her bundle of nerves between her lips, and the jolt had Bella moaning again and grabbing at Rosalie's hair. It took twice as long to reach her fifth orgasm of the day as it had for the previous frantic four combined, but when it finally hit and Bella looked down to see Rosalie watching her, it was that much sweeter.

Bella finally stopped screaming and held her arms out for Rosalie. They held each other while Bella recovered.

"Next time," Bella panted, "let me reciprocate before you wear me out."

Rosalie didn't respond. Instead she tilted her head to look out to the rest of the shed...and she froze.

"Shit," she whispered.

Bella followed her gaze, which was hard because the glass was pretty foggy and she didn't have vampire eyes. But once her eyes adjusted, there was no mistaking it.

"Shit," Bella agreed, horrorstruck.

Charlie stood in front of the shed's open door, frozen and agape.

* * *

**Dun dun dun. Another cliffhanger?! Ack, Darcy!**

**Author's note III: Longest bloody chapter yet. So what do you think of my Jacob? How the Cullens are handling it so far? Rosalie (sigh, oh Rosalie)? There's a little more to this scene than meets the eye. You'll see what I mean in my next Rosalie pov. **

**Author's note IV: Because I know some people might bring it up as proof that "the relationship won't work!"...Bella doesn't tell Jacob about Emmett also being with Rosalie not because she's embarrassed or possessive or anything like that. She's simply being smart. She knows that this type of relationship is not usually accepted and she won't put herself in a situation she can't back out of until she feels she can trust the person she's talking to, in this case Jacob. It's "coming out" essentially, except with something much more taboo than homosexuality. Gots to trust before she talks. **


	53. Safe

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

**Author's note I: Holy crap on a cracker, an update in TWO days? What can I say, I took pity on all of you. That was quite an evil cliffhanger. _And_ you were also very, very good readers and left me many reviews...see what happens when you're good? :)**

**Author's note II: I've been going back and cleaning up the story. Mostly just awkward sentences, bad grammar, and silly spelling mistakes that drove me nuts whenever I went back to read a chapter. There's still mistakes out there but I am human (unfortunately, sadness). There is HOWEVER one change I made that's more than just semantics. _Chapter 28: Recognition_. Originally, Charlie pulls out his gun and aims it at Bella in front of Rosalie and Alice. It occurred to me a while ago that that wouldn't fly. In a normal world (and Charlie still thinks he lives in a normal world) if a parent pulls a gun on his child in front of witnesses, those witnesses will surely freak out and tell somebody. If they didn't do that, the parent would think those witnesses are insane. Hence why I had to change it, so Charlie wouldn't wonder why on earth Rosalie and Alice didn't care and never came forward or at the very least, tell their parents when Charlie looked like he would kill his daughter. The change: instead of successfully pulling the gun out of the holster and then Bella disarms him, Charlie reaches for his gun (sneakily, so he thinks) and Bella disarms him before the gun makes it out of the holster. Bella knew what was about to happen. Rosalie and Alice, because they're vampires, knew what was about to happen. But Charlie assumes the Cullen girls are none the wiser. Understand? I mention this now because it would be pretty odd if Charlie finds out Bella is dating a girl who knows Charlie almost killed her. **

* * *

It took five seconds for Charlie's feet to thaw from where they had frozen to swiftly turn around and leave the shed. He almost tripped over his own shoes a few times as he walked blindingly back to his house. Halfway across the yard, he heard Bella call his name.

"Charlie, wait!"

That was the last thing he wanted to do. He'd prefer to get dressed in his uniform, get in his car and go to work. There were bad guys to be caught. Traffic tickets to hand out. Those things he could handle with ease. The most unpredictable day at work would be far more relaxing than whatever words he and Bella exchanged right now.

Bella caught up with him and he had no choice but to turn around. She was wearing clothes, thank god.

He waited for her to speak. His face was so red he feared if he opened his mouth hot smoke would rush out. She too looked just as flushed.

"I'm sorry," he blurted out.

"Me too," she said quietly.

"I didn't mean to barge in like that," he mumbled. "I heard...noises. I thought you might be hurt."

Both of their faces took on a deeper shade of red. Noises...yeah, sure, he scoffed at himself. But he wasn't going to embarrass himself or the girl in front of him by elaborating on just how much screaming he heard. From his own kitchen, no less. It's a good thing they didn't have any close neighbors.

He chanced a look back at her and saw that she was looking down at her feet. Charlie had never given an ounce of thought to...well, to _teenage_ issues such as the one that he was now facing. What the hell was he supposed to do now? Yell at her about how inappropriate this all was? Tell her she was too young for sex? Obviously it was a little late for the Talk. He frowned. What was he thinking? Charlie was a lousy excuse for a father and he knew it. What right did he have to act like one now? Just because he was extremely uncomfortable with what he saw didn't make it ok to start laying down rules like a good father would. Besides, he had promised her when she first moved here that he wouldn't interfere with her life as long as she was safe.

Bella spoke up, probably perplexed with his silence. "Do you...ah, do you have any questions for me?"

Did he have questions for her? Jesus, could he open his mouth without stammering in awkwardness? That was the real question...

"So," he shuffled his feet. "You...like girls?"

Just kill me now, he thought.

"I like Rosalie," she said quietly. "I love her."

"Rosalie...Carlisle and Esme's kid?"

She nodded. "Do they know about this?"

She nodded again.

Charlie looked back towards the shed where the girl, Rosalie, probably still remained.

"Bella," he whispered. "Is it safe?"

From the look on her face he knew she understood he wasn't talking about safe sex. Just the thought of that word though brought back images he really wished he could erase from his mind, and he blushed profusely. Bella sure knew how to pick 'em, he thought with just a small hint of pride.

"Yes," she stated firmly. "Absolutely. We've...we've been together since last summer."

He nodded, surprised. Could he go now? Did he fulfill whatever fatherly duties he was supposed to perform? His radio crackled to life and he immediately reached for it, relieved for a distraction.

"10-70 at 274 Main Street. Available officer requested on premises. Over."

Automatically Charlie's voice changed to reflect his authority. "Copy that. 10 minutes ETA. Over."

"I have to go," he turned back to her.

"Ok," she said and watched him walk the rest of the way to the house. Before he fully stepped inside she shouted, "hey what's 10-70?"

He hesitated. "Fire alarm," he shouted back.

* * *

The woods sped by at lightning speeds as Rosalie pounced on the fleeing deer. Snarling, she swiftly broke the animal's neck and drank her fill. The burning in her throat sated only slightly. Despite the less than palatable taste of the deer's blood she knew she'd have to keep hunting. Another three deer fell before she finally felt safe enough to stop. She stood still in the middle of the forest. Her eyes were once again their normal golden hue but they burned with anger and worry.

Bella's scent was getting harder for her to endure. More and more frequently she caught herself eying the girl's neck in her sleep and licking her lips. Wanting and hoping to turn her one day was one thing...this, however, was an intense _need_...it was something without thought or logic. And it was happening _all_ the goddamn time. Rosalie didn't stay to help Bella face her father not because she didn't want to but because she couldn't. Her reserve of control had been depleted by the time Charlie stumbled in on them. She would never admit this to Bella but Rosalie was actually grateful for the man walking in on them when he did. Five more minutes in the shower with Bella and she didn't know what might have happened.

And that business in the shower...

She tore apart the tree closest to her in anger. She had put Bella's life in danger. Bella might have a kinky side that enjoyed the experience, but there was no doubt that what they had done...what _she_ had done to her could've killed her. It scared Rosalie out of her wits that the thought hadn't occurred to her at the time. Why did it feel like her rational mind wasn't always present with her anymore?

She took her phone out of her pocket and dialed. There was only one person who could help her with this.

"Hello," the voice on the other end greeted.

"Tanya," said Rosalie. "I need your help."

"Well hi to you too, Blondie," Tanya chuckled. "How can your favorite succubus be of service?"

"It's Bella."

Tanya's voice immediately changed to match Rosalie's seriousness. "Is she alright?"

"Yes, but...I'm not."

Rosalie explained her predicament, leaving nothing out. Tanya and her sisters have long been close friends and she trusted them implicitly.

"To be honest I'm not exactly surprised," Tanya admitted. "In fact I'm more surprised this hasn't happened sooner."

"What do I do?" Rosalie pleaded.

"Turn her," Tanya stated calmly. "That's the only thing you _can_ do."

Rosalie balked. "I can't! We-we're not there yet, Tanya. We've never had that discussion. And...and I'm not ready."

Tanya was silent for a few moments. "You are planning for this though, right? This is not something that should be put off..."

"Yes," Rosalie sighed. This is not how she wanted this conversation to go. "She's still so young...This isn't the time for it."

Tanya sighed. "Rosalie, I honestly don't have any answers for you. None of us have maintained an intimate relationship with a human for as long as you have with her. What you're experiencing sounds like what any vampire experiences with their mate. Your vampire wants to claim her, mark her as yours. You haven't been able to really do that because she's human and that would kill her. And now that she's interacting with the shape-shifters, that need is much, much more powerful. I'm sorry sweetie, I know this isn't what you wanted to hear but it's only going to keep getting worse."

Tears of frustration threatened to wash down her face though of course they never would. "How can I keep her safe?" She whispered.

"Turning her is the only sure way," she replied, then paused. "Leaving her would also help."

Rosalie snarled and almost crushed the phone in her hand. "Not. Possible," she growled.

"I know," Tanya said gently. "But you need to understand that those are the only options that keep her from danger...at least, danger from you."

Rosalie punched another tree with her free hand and sent it crashing to the ground.

"Rose, wait." Tanya sighed. "Hunt more. It might help for a while. Hunt as often as you can even if you're not thirsty. That's all I can think of."

She nodded, then remembered Tanya couldn't see her and voiced her understanding.

"And Rose, you have to talk to her," Tanya said quietly. "Soon. Don't...don't make assumptions."

* * *

Bella and Jacob walked out of the arcade and down the beach together. This was definitely becoming a favorite haunt of theirs. There weren't too many places to hang out in Forks, and frankly Bella preferred La Push since it minimized the chances of running into kids from her school. Nothing noteworthy had occurred but Mike, Jessica and Lauren's inaction was beginning to worry her. She had a very bad feeling the three were plotting something and she'd rather nothing go down in Jacob's presence. It would certainly put her in a foul mood.

"So let me get this straight," Jacob grinned. "You were getting it on with your girl in the shower."

"Uh huh."

"Then your dad walks in on you."

"Uh huh."

"He runs off. You run after him."

"Yup."

"Shit, Bella," he laughed. "You got balls of steel!"

Bella grinned too. That incident could've gone a lot worse than it had. Even so, it's been a week and Charlie still couldn't face her. Or was it the other way around?

"How did he take it?" Jacob asked.

"Oh, you know Charlie," she said. A lot better than I do, she mentally added. "He's probably just relieved he doesn't have to worry about a pregnancy."

He looked at her seriously. "Well...if he's not cool with it and you ever need a place to crash or something, you know you can always call me."

Bella smiled softly and he smiled back. "Thanks, Jake. I appreciate that. But I don't think I have to worry about that. Besides, the Cullens have a pretty big house."

Jacob's smile faltered and so did his step. "The Cullens?"

"Yeah..." Bella gave him a funny look. "Dude, keep walking."

He ignored her. "Wait, what do the Cullens have to do with any of this?"

"Well I am dating their daughter..." Bella was really concerned now. "What's wrong with you?"

"I thought her last name was Hale."

"It is. She didn't change it when she got adopted," she replied. "Can you snap out of whatever you're on and tell me what's wrong?"

"It's nothing," he muttered. "Really! It's a load of crap. Just scary stories our parents like to tell us so we eat our vegetables."

"What stories?" She had a bad feeling about this.

"Legends. Myths. Really, it's not a big deal," he insisted. But Bella stared him down and he gave in. "Quileutes believe in magic and pretty fantastic things. We have stories about all kinds of creatures. We call one of them the 'cold ones.'"

Bella's heart took a dive south. Outwardly, her face expressed only mild curiosity and interest.

"Go on," she said.

"The cold ones are supposed to be the tribe's greatest enemy. A long time ago, so the stories say anyway, the cold ones attacked our villages and killed a lot of people before we figured out how to fight them off."

"And how did you do that?" She asked blankly.

"The tribe believes in animal spirits. We've always identified strongly with the wolf you see, so the legends say that the spirit of the wolf took pity on our ancestors and gave them the power of the wolf to fight back. That's how we drove the cold ones away."

Bella kept walking, the gears in her mind working. "So...cold ones...are they just cold? What makes them so bad?"

Please be wrong, please be wrong, she begged.

Jacob at least had the decency to look abashed. "They're bloodsuckers. You know...vampires."

Bella chuckled. "Wow."

"Yeah, I know," Jacob laughed too. "Nobody really believes that stuff. It's just an old legend that gets passed down cause, you know, that's what you do with old legends."

"Hey, no judgement," she said. "But I don't get the connection to the Cullens."

Poor Jacob's discomfort was abundantly clear. Bella felt a little better that he obviously didn't believe this stuff and was embarrassed by it, but not by much.

"It's really silly, Bells," he apologized. "Just a stupid legend...the story says the Cullens are one of those...cold ones. They came here a long time ago but because they promised not to kill people, the tribe made a treaty with them."

Bella stared at him, making sure to put on her best 'what the fuck' mask.

"Come on," he looked smiled shyly. "You said you wouldn't judge."

She nodded. "You're right. No judgements. But I'll have you know," she said with a sly grin. "Rosalie's body is smokin' hot, not cold. And the only thing I get when she bites me is a lot of hickies."

Jacob laughed loudly. "Thanks for clearing that up."

Suddenly, both of their phones started ringing. They looked at each other in surprise. Weird.

It was Charlie calling for Bella. And based on the snippets she heard from Jacob, his father was on the line with him.

"Hi Bella," he started. Jesus, she could practically feel him blushing. "My friend Billy Black invited me over for dinner tonight. Billy's son Jacob is the one that built your truck. Would you, ah, like to come along?"

Wow. She wasn't sure what was more shocking today...Jacob's tribe knowing the Cullens were vampires or her father inviting her to dinner with other people.

She glanced at Jacob and could see he was getting the same news. "Sure, Charlie," she said. "Um, I probably should've mentioned sooner. I've already met Jacob...in fact I'm with him right now."

"Oh. Ok. Um, I guess I'll meet you there then. You know where to go?"

"Jacob will show me," she said and they hung up.

Jacob grinned when he too hung up with his father. "Cool! I can show you my workshop!"

She laughed. "Just let me call Rosalie real quick."

Her plan to confront her about the Quileutes would have to wait. But she had to at least give her a heads up that she'd be here for the rest of the evening or she really would turn a 'cold one' and start killing people.

* * *

Billy Black appeared to be an older, wheelchair-bound version of his son. But as Bella shook his hand and made small talk with him, it was clear that this man had a lot of dignity and pride in his family and tribe.

"Dad's one of the tribe elders," Jacob had whispered to her. "He takes it pretty seriously."

Does that mean he takes the 'Cold Ones' seriously too? She got her answer halfway through dinner.

"Old Stevens got himself drunk and set his shop on fire today," Charlie sighed. "Poor sop."

"Is he ok?" Bella asked quietly.

"He'll be fine," Charlie chewed on his fish. "Carlisle patched him up real well."

Bella immediately rested her gaze on Billy, just in time to see him narrow his eyes and look disgusted. Jacob had looked at his father too before turning to Bella and shrugging. 'Sorry,' he mouthed.

"They don't have other doctors at that hospital?" Billy asked rigidly.

"None better than Carlisle," Charlie replied smoothly. "Really, Billy. The Cullens are good people."

The man said nothing and continued to eat his meal. "Since when are you on first name basis with Carlisle?" He asked. A six-year-old would be able to hear the dripping sarcasm and enmity in his voice.

"Since he and Esme practically adopted Bella here," Charlie said with pride. Bella's heart sank in her chest. She had hoped this wouldn't come up. She needed to observe and look out for anything that could harm the Cullens, not worry about what Billy observed in her. "That whole family has been wonderful to my daughter, and I won't take any nonsense prejudice against them."

Under different circumstances, Bella's heart would glow after hearing Charlie refer to her as 'his daughter.' Another first for this day, she thought. But she had kept her eye on Billy through her father's speech. The man was now giving her a measured, calculating look. He was waiting for her to say something, she realized.

"I sit with their kids at lunch sometimes," she said casually. "They're really nice."

She gave Charlie a meaningful look before she took her next bite and hoped he'd get the message. Don't tell him about Rosalie, she silently pleaded. The would tell Billy far too much about what she might know. As it is, her simple admission to eating lunch with the kids might have been too much information, she slowly realized. If the man before her was as unsure as Jacob was about the stories, her implying they ate like normal people would put him at ease. But that didn't appear to be the case, she thought with a sinking feeling. Billy Black _knows_ what the Cullens are. Which means he knows she's not being entirely honest. Fuck. The table, the walls, and especially Billy started melting before her eyes.

_Calm down. Think of the beach. The sand. Jacob._

"Hey Charlie," Jacob interjected excitedly and changing the subject much to Bella's relief. "Is it ok if I teach Bella how to ride a motorcycle?"

"Huh? Oh, ah," Charlie looked at her and she smiled softly. "Sure."

Dinner came to an end, Bella having managed to avoid Billy's piercing stare for the remainder of it. On her way to Jacob's room she heard Billy asking her father, "You're really ok with her getting on a motorcycle?"

"You're fine with Jacob doing the same," Charlie replied. Again she heard a hint of that foreign sounding pride in his voice. "Bella's got a good head on her shoulders. I trust her to be safe."

Bella thought her heart would burst with happiness.

Jacob snorted. "I can't believe he's so cool with you after everything," he whispered to her in the hallway.

Tell me about it, she thought, though they were obviously thinking of two very different things.

The hallway, like the rest of the small house, was lined with pictures on the wall. Here without any distractions, she paid closer attention to the photographs.

"Nice cornrows," she snorted, much to Jacob's embarrassment.

The biggest picture on the wall was obviously a family portrait. Jacob and Billy were wearing fancy and uncomfortable looking suits. The two teenage girls on either side of Jacob, his sisters she presumed, were also dressed to the nines but they looked a lot happier in their sundresses. Bella's eyes moved over the woman standing by Billy, Jacob's mother.

She froze in her tracks.

Everything, _everything_ stopped. Her annoyance with Billy. Her happiness with Charlie. She stared in disbelief at the woman in the photograph, and like she'd read about the Mona Lisa, the woman stared right back at her.

_This cannot be happening._

Jacob noticed her absence and came to stand by her. He too looked up at the picture.

"Is that your mom?" Her voice was blank and lifeless.

"Yea," he replied quietly.

"She's beautiful. What was her name?"

"Sarah," he answered.

Sarah...she would never have made the connection without that picture. She never learned Sarah's last name before...had no idea that the boy she'd befriended and come to love like a brother was her son.

_This cannot be happening._

Sarah Black. Billy's wife...Jacob's mother...Bella's victim.

* * *

**Told you I had different plans for Jacob. I really am putting Bella through the wringer, aren't I? Poor kid. **


End file.
